Without reservations: nearly losing Face
by LittleMonkeyDog
Summary: Face gets shot at Villa Cucina by some tugs who want to assasinate the Attorney General. The A-Team manages to prevent this from happening and rush their badly injured friend to DC General. What happens to poor Face?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've recently watched the episode "Without reservations" and this story is based on that particular episode. I'm a big fan of that episode as it has the right amount of drama in it, but also shows the wonderful friendship between Murdock and Face. Some fantastic acting by both actors I must add ! I kept on hoping that Face would pull through somehow (being a huge Face fan). I did think the end of the episode was somewhat rushed. They talk about getting Face to DC General but what happens there? It had me wondering and that's why I decided to write this FF story. I hope you'll enjoy it! Please review.**

 **I do not owe any of the characters of the A-Team and this story is entirely fictional. The OC character has been created by me**

 **CHAPTER 1**

The unthinkable had happened. All Murdock wanted to do was to prevent his boss from getting mugged and robbed at his restaurant. He hadn't been working as a waiter at Villa Cucina that long, but he was fond of the owner and his lovely daughter. Now he sat beside his best friend on the cold kitchen floor thinking what on Earth had possessed him to urge Face to take these guys out. Off course he hadn't refused to help out being Murdock's buddy and his plan had actually worked out up until a certain point. None of them had noticed there was a third party involved in the matter and his presence was only revealed after he pulled the trigger and shot Face.

When he closed his eyes, Murdock could still see the look of terror in his friend's eyes as he fell down and hit the ground hard. The abdominal wound was bleeding profusely and pain was etched on Face's now pale features. To make matters worse all calls for help had been denied, despite the fact that Murdock pointed out how injured Face really was. They were instead forced to drag their badly injured team mate to the kitchen and lay him down on the cold, hard kitchen floor.

All Murdock could think of – despite feeling guilty as hell for what had happened – was how to save Face's life. He knew it would be best to elevate Face's legs to try and limit the bleeding and they would also have to apply direct pressure to the abdominal wound to control the bleeding somehow. Murdock softly checked his pulse and held his best friend's hand to reassure him some more as he knew it was of vital importance to keep him as calm as he possibly could.

" _How bad is it?"_

As if he didn't know? Face was a very clever guy and he knew he was bleeding badly. Nevertheless he seemed to believe Frankie when he told him that he had seen worse accidents happen on the set. It was a lie and they all knew it. The situation was bad! Really bad! Life threatening even.

" _I am so cold. So c-c-cold."_

His voice sounded so desperate. Murdock so badly wanted to punch these guys in the face and get his buddy to DC General, but he couldn't do it all by himself. He quickly realized shock had set in as Face complained about being cold. The poor guy was shivering and trembling all over, while beads of sweat were cascading down his handsome face dampening his blond locks. Murdock didn't say a word, but softly began to unbutton Face's crisp white dress shirt. He also undid his belt buckle and the button of his jeans. Face was shivering even more if that was possible.

"What are you doin', man?" Frankie asked him clearly not understanding what Murdock was doing.

"I'm loosening up constricting clothing," Murdock said as he lightly tried to cover up his friend's trembling frame with a table cloth. "Could you please keep wiping away the sweat?"

Face had his eyes closed and pain was etched on his pale, sweaty looking features. His breathing was very superficial.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He asked Frankie.

"What do I do?" The owner's daughter asked. She was seated next to Face and kept applying pressure bandages to the abdominal wound with one hand despite his cries of pain and holding onto his other hand for support.

"Keep applying pressure at all time," Murdock said. "I know it hurts, but unfortunately it is necessary to keep doing just that. We need to try and stop the bleeding as much as we can. And just be there for him."

"What is going on? How is he holdin' on?" Frankie asked.

"He has done better. Much better," Murdock stated simply. "He is losing a lot of blood and we can't seem to get it to stop. I've also noticed that shock has set in already. That explains his violent shivering and shuddering. We need to get him professional help."

The gangsters came back into the kitchen right at that moment. They forced Murdock back inside the restaurant to resume his waiter's job and Frankie was to sit back down at his table. Both of them had to leave Face alone on the cold kitchen floor with only an unknown young lady to hold his hand and care for him the best she could. Murdock knew just how much Face hated to be left alone in times like this, but he had no choice but to obey the gangsters.

"Hang in there, pall," he said softly while softly squeezing his best friend's shoulder. "I'll try to get us out of this mess as soon as I can. I promise. Just keep breathing for me, okay?"

He couldn't have been more relieved when B.A. walked in asking for a specific kind of pizza. He had to pass a message to his team mates to help him out. So he risked everything! He only knew they had gotten the message when the Colonel rang. Despite a firearm being pushed into his side, Murdock managed to keep a cool head and was able to send an encoded message to Hannibal stating there was a setup to assassinate the Attorney General, the number of gangsters present and the fact that his second-in-command was down.

As he checked his friend's condition a little while later, he squeezed his arm reassuringly gently trying to notify him that help was on the way. But Face was too far out to notice! He was barely conscious and sweating profusely. The bleeding still hadn't stopped and Murdock knew they had little time to get him proper medical care.

When Hannibal and B.A. made their way into the restaurant's kitchen by misleading the bad guys, they didn't have that much trouble taking out two of the gangsters straight away. Now all that was left was taking out the third guy, but what they didn't know was that the local police officer was involved in the whole dirty matter. Murdock was about to lose all hope in saving Face. But then again the A-team never gave up.

So while waiting for Liebster to arrive, Hannibal managed to distract the gangsters and the team could easily knock them out. Murdock released all of his pent up anger on the guy that shot his best friend and kept punching him repeatedly until Frankie made him stop by effectively grabbing both of his arms. Meanwhile Hannibal knelt beside his badly wounded Lieutenant and took of his black gloves. He softly and soothingly placed his hand underneath Face's shirt and on his chest to check his heart rate. The poor guy was unconscious, sweat soaked, breathing with great difficulty and it sounded very superficial. To reassure his Lieutenant who was like a son to him, he gently ran his hand through his dampened blond hair and kept on doing just that.

" _He's weak but we can move him. Get the van, B.A. We need to get him to DC General straight away."_

That's what Murdock heard Hannibal say to B.A. in a serious voice while the latter sprinted out the door to get the van ready. Meanwhile, the Attorney General and his wife had walked into the restaurant and saw what had happened. The whole restaurant was a mess. He demanded to know what had been happening and was briefed by the owner of the restaurant. He was shocked to find out what those gangsters were up to.

"You should know that you owe this brave man your life," Murdock said as Hannibal lifted his unconscious Lieutenant from the ground to carry him to the van. "He risked his own life to save everyone else's."

"That's right," Mrs. Dorian said as she sat at the table within the far corner with her husband holding onto one another for dear life. They had witnessed the whole thing. "He truly is a hero. They started to fight and that man pulled out a gun. He tried to disarm the man and got shot by another. It was terrible. There was just so much blood and he fell down on the floor. I just hope the poor thing will live through this. He is still so young and he doesn't deserve to die this way. Nobody does."

All eyes were on Face as he was cradled in Hannibal's strong arms. His head rolled to the side and everyone could clearly see that he was unconscious and very pale looking. The poor boy's shirt was blood soaked and his beautiful blond locks were sweat soaked.

"Are you guys the famous A-team?" The Attorney General asked carefully as he seemed to recognize the pale, unconscious young Lieutenant in Hannibal's arms from his military picture.

Damn Face's good looks, Hannibal cursed inwardly. Everyone always recognized him instantly.

"That's right," he replied to the Attorney General in a calm voice. "But right now, we can't stand around here and chat with you about the good old times. We have a badly injured team member to attend to and he needs immediate medical care. We need to be in DC General in less than 5 minutes."

"I can be of some assistance. I can arrange for a police escort to get you to the hospital quick and safe," Liebster said. "After all, I owe you guys my life. I could also get in touch with the hospital and make sure their best surgeon is on the case."

"Thanks," Hannibal answered. "We would appreciate the escort in order to quickly get him to DC, but they already have their best surgeon standing-by for us as we speak."

Murdock frowned.

"Stockwell pulled a few strings and the finest surgeon on staff at DC will operate on Face. Now we really have to get going if we want to save his life," Hannibal explained.

He made his way over to the van as quickly as possible carrying his still bleeding Lieutenant followed closely by Murdock. B.A. put the car in gear before they even had a chance to shut the sliding door. Face was lying on the floor with his head in Hannibal's lap while Hannibal was gently stroking his dampened blond hair from his face and Murdock sat by his side holding onto his hand for dear life.

" _It's alright, Facey. You're safe now! We're taking you to the hospital. You'll be fine. You know, you really truly are a hero now. You've saved not only the Attorney General's life but also everyone else's at the restaurant. I'm so sorry for getting you into this mess, buddy. I can't lose you. You're my best friend in the whole wide world. I need you, man. I'd go crazy again if I lost you. So hang in there, muchacho. You just fight a little while longer and we'll be here for you. All of us! We're a unit, remember. We don't leave anyone behind and we'll never leave you. I promise."_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Zowie Stockwell." Zowie spoke as she answered her car phone. She had just finished working at the hospital and was on her way back home looking forward to some relaxing time after a hard day's work. Zowie was a well-known surgeon at DC General and she truly loved her job. She was not the kind of doctor who was in it for the money. She did actually care about the patient lying on her operating table and would do whatever it took to safe his or her life.

"Zowie, this is your father speaking," Stockwell said.

"Hey, dad. Nice of you to call," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, but I have been busy lately. I was planning on calling you tonight actually."

"I suppose you're not at the hospital anymore?" He asked his daughter.

"No, I've just finished and I'm on my way home. Why? Are you in need of medical help, dad?" She asked worried all of sudden.

"I'm fine, darling," he spoke once again. "It's one of my operatives. He was shot and needs urgent surgery. You know I only want the best for my men."

"Okay, dad. I'll turn the car around and go back," Zowie said. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"There was an attempt to kill the Attorney General and he tried to prevent this. By doing so, he was shot," Stockwell explained to his daughter. "He has an abdominal gunshot wound and has lost a whole lot of blood. I haven't seen him myself, but his team members explained to me that shock has set in, he lost consciousness and his breathing is shallow."

"That doesn't sound too good," Zowie answered him.

"I know," Stockwell replied. "The team is on their way over to DC as we speak. I've called the hospital to make sure they're ready for them and to make sure the OR is all ready for you too."

"Great. Thanks, dad," Zowie said. "How long ago did this operative get shot?"

"I would say about an hour or so ago," Stockwell answered her.

"That's a long time especially when he's been losing so much blood," Zowie said. "Why didn't they contact you earlier to get help?"

"They were still in a hostage situation until about 5 minutes ago. There were other innocent people involved and the team didn't want to risk a thing," Stockwell explained.

"But they did almost risk the life of one of their own," Zowie said frowning.

"They're trained special forces. They know the risks, darling," explained Stockwell. "But they also have some knowledge of first aid and that's how they could help their friend and team member."

"I see," Zowie said. "Now, what do you know about my patient?"

"What do you need to know, darling?" asked Stockwell.

"His name would be nice, but I especially need his age, height and weight," she said. "That's vital information for the anesthesiologist. I also need to know about his allergies if he has any. If you have a file on him, you can already send it to the hospital. I'll check it when I arrive there, but I would really like to know at least his name, age, height and weight now to get a general idea."

"Well, his age might be a problem," Stockwell answered.

"What? How could his age be a problem?" Zowie asked her father. "You do have an extensive file on all of your operatives, so how come you say that this man's age is a problem to you?"

"He is not one of my standard operatives, Zowie," Stockwell explained. "You know how I've had my eye on the A-team, right. Well, he's a member of the team. And I'm pretty sure he forged his papers to get into the army."

"Which one is it, dad?" Zowie asked. She had known about her father wanting to recruit the famous A-team and she had always been keen on meeting these guys, but until now her father had kept her away from them.

"Lieutenant Templeton Peck," he merely answered knowing that his daughter had seen the file on the team.

"Okay, so at least I know it's not Colonel Smith we're dealing with. Considering he's a bit older, the situation might have been more serious. But Lieutenant Peck isn't that old yet. Can you guess how old he is?" She asked her father.

"My guess is he was barely 18 upon entering the military, so that would make him about 33 years old now. I do know he's 5ft 11in tall and weighs about 158 lbs," he told his daughter.

"What about his health in general," she asked her father. "Did you make them have a check-up?"

"I did," he said. "He's in perfect health and perfect shape. That young man is really athletic and enjoys running. Colonel Smith also regularly trains his men so they stay fit at all times. He does, however, have the tendency to react pretty badly towards medication in general, due to the time he has spent in a POW camp during the war."

"That's just great," Zowie said sighing. "We'll need to give him anesthetics and probably some antibiotics to fight infection. So if he pulls through at all, he'll be a very sick young man for sure."

"I'm afraid so," said Stockwell. "But we'll deal with that later. Right now we must try and save this young man's life. He is very valuable to me and my operation."

"I'll be at DC in 5 minutes, dad," Zowie said. "Send me the file so I can have a brief look. I'll quickly assess the situation and talk to the family to explain them what's going on. I won't have time to contact you again before surgery. I'll have the anesthesiologist put him under when I have my talk with his next of kin."

"Zowie, his team mates are all he's got," said Stockwell. "Mr. Peck is an orphan. Colonel Smith is about the closest thing to a dad he's got, so let him sign the consent form."

"Okay, will do. I'll get back to you after surgery. Bye, dad," Zowie said.

"Good luck, darling," he merely answered her.

Zowie sighed and pressed a button on her car phone to call the E.R. at the hospital.

"This is Dr. Stockwell. I have been informed that I have a patient waiting to be operated on, a Mr. Templeton Peck who was brought in with an abdominal gunshot wound. Has he arrived yet?"

"Yes, Dr. Stockwell," the nurse on the other end of the line informed her. "They have arrived about 5 minutes ago. Mr. Peck indeed has an abdominal gunshot wound which is bleeding profusely."

"Have you checked his vitals?" She asked going into doctor mode.

"His pulse is about 150 and his breathing is really shallow. Shock has already set in too," the nurse explained the situation. "He has also developed a fever."

"I'm parking my car as we speak," said Zowie. "Where is my patient?"

"He's in trauma 4. We'll be waiting for you with his file. We've also contacted the anesthesiologist and he's on his way down," the nurse explained.

Zowie parked her car in a hurry and all but ran inside the hospital. She grabbed her white coat as she passed her locker on the way and quickly made her way over to trauma 4.

"How is he?" She asked while walking up to her patient.

"It will be a close call," the nurse on duty explained. "He keeps losing blood and he's lost a lot of blood already. He is very weak and rather restless. The pain must be unbearable too."

"Let's have a look," Zowie said.

For a second, Zowie felt as if her heart almost stopped. A handsome young man with pain etched on his pale features was lying on the bed. His crisp white shirt was blood soaked and beads of sweat were visible on his forehead. He was indeed breathing superficially and moaned in pain. Zowie tried to block out the fact that he was very attractive and tried to focus on her job. She grabbed her stethoscope and placed the cold metal on the young man's chest underneath his unbuttoned shirt. His skin felt cold and clammy underneath her hands and his heart was racing. She knew she had to have a closer look at the wound which was hard to do with her patient still being fully dressed.

"We need to get him out of these clothes to have a better look and to start operating on him," she said to the nurses and she was sure her voice trembled when she said this. It would also be a difficult task she realized as her patient wasn't responsive at all at this stage.

She gently tried to bend his arm in order to get him out of his blazer jacket, but as she noticed the distress on his face she stopped trying all together. She knew she would have no choice but to cut open the garment to get him out of it and she would also have to do this with his crisp white shirt which was ruined anyway due to the blood that soaked the material. Zowie asked for a pair of scissors from one of the nurses and already unfolded the man's blazer jacket. The Armani label immediately caught her eye. She silently cursed knowing how much his jacket must have cost him and how good he looked in it even being this pale. She gently began cutting through the rather thick material of his sleeves and to the shoulder line of the jacket and she repeated the same action on the other side as well. Afterwards she cut through the sleeves of the crisp white silk shirt he was wearing. He certainly had a good taste in clothes, she thought to herself. After she was done cutting through all of the layers of clothes on his upper body, the remainders of cloth were removed from the patient's body. Zowie briefly admired his tanned and muscular yet slender frame, until her eyes landed on the gunshot wound. She noticed that the wound was still bleeding profusely. What worried Zowie even more was the possible damage done to some of the internal organs and internal bleeding in the abdominal cavity.

"Do we know his blood type?" She asked one of the nurses.

"We'll draw blood just to be sure," she said and Zowie merely nodded her head at this.

"Make it quick," she said. "We might need a blood transfusion while we're operating on him to compensate the blood loss.

Zowie now started working on his pants. Since her patient really had a slender built, she was able to merely pull his jeans down from his body without disturbing him. She was glad she at least didn't have to ruin his pair of designer jeans.

The nurse returned stating that the patient had an O negative blood type and that a supply of blood was already brought over to the OR. Meanwhile, the anesthesiologist had also arrived. She quickly explained what was going on and also mentioned her patient's tendency to react badly to anesthetics. But with him being in such deep shock, they had no choice but to put him under during the procedure. The anesthesiologist prepared his cocktail of drugs and Zowie quickly made her way out to the waiting room to talk to the team members. She found four anxious men waiting for her there.

"Hi," she started introducing herself. "My name is Dr. Zowie Stockwell and I'm Mr. Peck's surgeon. Now I've just examined him and he's in pretty bad shape. He lost a whole lot of blood, so we'll need to give him a blood transfusion during the surgery. We're prepping him for surgery as we speak and he's getting his anesthetic now. Getting the bullet out won't be so much of a problem, but I'm afraid there will be severe internal damage maybe even to some of his organs. His breathing is superficial at the moment which may cause him to go into cardiac arrest, but we'll monitor his heart very closely. Luckily, he's young and strong and in good health. I can't make promises, but I am planning on making sure he recovers fully. I just wanted you to know this. I'm sorry I can't tell you more for now."

"We understand. Thanks, doc," Hannibal said wearing a serious expression. "We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed that he makes it, I guess. He is a very strong young man, that's for sure."

"I'm afraid so, Colonel," Zowie answered him. "I also need someone's consent for this procedure and since my dad told me you're the closest thing he's got to a father I think you should sign."

"I can't believe this is all my fault," Murdock said burying his face in his trembling hands as he sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room. "I'll never forgive myself if Facey dies. I can't lose my best friend like this. I need him to keep me sane."

"Stop your crazy jibber jabber, fool," B.A. answered him. "You ain't the one who pulled no trigger. What you did was look after him, man. You did good! You cared for Face and he knows, fool. Nothin' we can do for him now but pray."

"Yeah, Murdock. You weren't the one to pull the trigger," Hannibal spoke to his Captain while putting a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "It's that scumbag who did who is responsible and he'll pay for what he did alright. I'm sure Stockwell is making sure of that! You cared for Face like the true friend you are when he needed you the most. And by getting our attention with that plain and simple pizza message, you helped save his life and the life of all the people present at the restaurant. Don't forget that, Captain."

"I just wish it would have been me taking the bullet instead of Face," Murdock half whispered.

"What are you sayin', fool. Face would be hurt then too. We're a family, dude. We all care," B.A. insisted.

"I could arrange for you guys to talk to someone about all this," Zowie stated.

"If you could. That would be great!" Said Hannibal. "I think especially Captain Murdock is going to need someone to talk this over with. How long do you think it will take before we get news?"

"I can't say really," Zowie explained. "It all depends on how fast I can get to the bullet and what the damage is to his intestines."

Hannibal signed the consent form for the operation and handed it back to Zowie. Now all they could do was wait …


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Zowie hurried back to the OR. The anesthesiologist had already put her patient under and they were now waiting anxiously for Zowie to scrub in and perform the procedure. As soon as she entered the OR, she was in full on doctor mode. She had nurses handing her the necessary equipment and nurses monitoring the patient's vitals.

"Right, let's do this," she said.

She carefully cut into the young man's skin layer by layer trying to find the bullet. The bullet had gone in pretty deep and Zowie constantly had to dab to remove all of the blood that obstructed her view. Finally she was able to locate and remove the bullet. Due to the immense blood loss before and during the surgery, the surgical team had already started with a blood transfusion to stabilize the patient's condition. After the removal of the bullet, Zowie carefully checked out the damage done to her patient's intestines.

All of a sudden, one of the nurses called out to her.

" _Dr. Stockwell, his blood pressure is dropping rapidly."_

"That doesn't sound good," Zowie said. "Keep monitoring his blood pressure and his heart rhythm. I'm pretty sure there is internal damage to one of his organs and I'll have to check it out. He also definitely has a case of peritonitis which we need to treat later on."

Zowie's trained eye checked out the area to find out where the damage was. She was interrupted abruptly when all kind of alarms sounded and her nurses informed her about the dropping pressure and the heart problems. Zowie quickly checked with the nurse and she informed him that he was in respiratory arrest.

"We can't lose him. Not now, not ever! He is far too young to die just yet," Zowie stated firmly. "Let's start artificial respiration."

The nurses did what they were told and Zowie grabbed a hold of the pedals to shock him back to life. She so hated using these instruments, but she knew they often did what they had to do. And this had to be done!

"Clear," she yelled as she put the pedals on his bare chest silently praying to get the heart back to beating.

Her first attempt however was futile. Zowie tried to remain calm and professional and tried one more time. Still nothing!

"Come on. Fight this! You can. I know you can!" She said out loud. "All of your friends are waiting for you. You have to pull through for them. They need you! You need to be strong for them and get through this."

She tried another time desperately hoping she would succeed this time.

"We have a pulse again, doctor," one nurse said. "It's still weak, but we do have one."

"What about his blood pressure?" Zowie asked.

"Is starting to stabilize," the other nurse said. "We have him back I think. For now!"

"Let's keep it that way," Zowie said sighing in relief.

She once again started to check the damage to his intestines.

"Got you," she exclaimed. "Finally."

It wasn't easy checking the damage when her patient was still bleeding. But finally Zowie managed to find the reason for the extensive bleeding: a ruptured spleen. She explained what she saw to the rest of the team. Zowie took a closer look to make sure she couldn't stop the bleeding and stitch up the wound or wrap up the spleen in some way, but the damage was way too extensive and if she couldn't stop the bleeding her patient would bleed to death.

"We'll have to do a splenectomy," she stated. "There is no way I can save his spleen. We have no choice."

It was delicate surgery to remove the organ from the patient, but Zowie managed to succeed without anything going wrong and she was grateful for that. His vitals remained stable, although his pulse was still weak. Zowie was tired. The surgery had taken 4 hours of intensive concentration, but she was relieved that her patient had survived.

"Let's close him up and get him to recovery," she said sounding tired.

She started to stitch him up carefully.

"Let's put him on extra fluids, some more blood, painkillers and start him on antibiotics too," Zowie told the nurses. "Call me when he wakes up. I want to keep a close eye on him. He is not out of the woods yet. The next 48 hours are crucial to a full recovery. As soon as he wakes up, he needs to be admitted to intensive care. We need to monitor his blood pressure, temperature and heartrate at all times. Thanks, you guys. Couldn't have done it without you! I'll go and inform his friends, because they must be worried sick by now and afterwards I need to call my dad too. Page me in case you need me."

She quickly looked at her handsome, pale patient and smiled softly. Man was she glad she had been able to save his life. She was also glad that she would have to follow up on his condition. At least she would be able to get to know him and see some more of him. She had to admit to herself that she kind of liked the idea. Zowie walked out of the OR and quickly got rid of her filthy and blood soaked scrubs. She didn't want to face his friends covered in his blood. That would be awkward for all of them!

She had a small smile on her tired features when she entered the waiting room. Hannibal, Murdock, B.A. and Frankie were still wide awake. As soon as she entered the room, they all jumped up from their seats.

" _How is he?"_

" _Is he alright?"_

" _He pulled through, didn't he?"_

" _Please tell me he's alive."_

Zowie noticed straight away how concerned these men were about their friend and 'brother'.

"I'm happy to inform you that the surgery was a success, gentlemen," she said. "Mr. Peck is a strong young man and he pulled through the procedure. I've managed to get the bullet out safely. That's the good news! He did give us quite a scare though. He went into respiratory arrest during the procedure, but we've managed to get him back. I did, however, notice that there was severe damage to the spleen and I had to take it out. I really had no other choice. Mr. Peck is in recovery right now and we'll need to monitor his condition in the intensive care for the next 48 hours. For now he's doing fine and his vitals are good, but we have to keep a close eye on him. Like I said, the next 48 hours are crucial to his full recovery."

"Thanks, doc," Hannibal said. Zowie noticed how relieved, but also how tired the man looked.

"You're sayin' he ain't got no spleen no more," B.A. asked. "Can he live without it?"

"Yes," Zowie said. "You can live perfectly without a spleen once you're an adult. The only problem is that the spleen helps your body to fight infection as it is part of our immune system. So Mr. Peck will easily get infections and he'll have to be really careful about them too. We are starting him on medication now and he will need to take these meds for the next 2 years on a daily basis. He'll also need some basic shots for some diseases such as the flu for instance. Also as soon as he has a fever of about 100, he needs to see a doctor straight away."

"Oh Facey is really gonna hate that," Murdock said. "He hates needles and antibiotics make him sick. He's not gonna be a happy Faceman, that's for sure. And it's all my fault."

"Shut up, fool," B.A. answered. "Should be glad he's still alive, man. Needs to deal with the rest of it. And you ain't to blame. You're his friend. You cared for him. Looked after him. He owes you his life."

"That's right, Captain," Hannibal chimed in. "You are not responsible for what happened out there at the restaurant. We know it and Face knows it too! He'll never ever blame you, but he will be forever in your debt for saving his life."

Murdock nodded his head. Tears were filling his dark brown eyes. Hannibal softly patted his back.

"Can we see him?" Murdock asked in a small, choked voice.

"Not just yet I'm afraid," Zowie explained. "You'll have to be a little patient. We'll need to wake Mr. Peck up at first, but I'm pretty sure he'll still be very drowsy and sleepy due to the severe blood loss. We'll also have to transfer him to the intensive care unit afterwards."

Murdock was close to crying by now. All he wanted to do was be with his best buddy and care for him. He came so close to losing him and it had frightened the poor pilot. Zowie noticed that and she also noticed the reactions of the other members of the team. Hannibal also had a hard time keeping up the appearance of the tough leader. He had nearly lost his 'son' and he looked heartbroken. B.A looked so terribly sad and he walked up to Murdock and tried to comfort the young pilot the best he could. Frankie was speechless for once in his life. He hadn't been with the guys that long, but he did care a lot about them. He also moved closer to Murdock to support him the best he could.

"Under normal circumstances, he is only allowed to have limited visitors for a limited period of time at the ICU," Zowie said softly. "But since there are no relatives and you're the only family he's got, I'm going to allow all of you in the room with him for comfort and support. But do know that Mr. Peck is a very weak and very sick man. He will be for some time. He needs all the rest he can get to allow his body to heal."

"Oh thank you, doc. You have no idea what this means to me. To all of us," Murdock said. Tears were now silently streaming down his pale face.

"We're grateful, doc," Hannibal said squeezing Murdock's shoulder. "We won't disturb him or you or anyone. I give you my word. We just really need to be close to him."

"Mr. Peck is really lucky to have such great friends who care a lot about him," Zowie said smiling softly.

"Templeton," Murdock mumbled.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" Zowie asked the pilot.

"That's his name. Templeton Arthur Peck. I'm sure he would love for you to know his first name," Murdock softly said to Zowie.

"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Murdock," she said smiling gently.

Murdock merely nodded his head.

Zowie excused herself as she had some paperwork on the operation to finish and a call to make to her dad at her office. As she walked towards her office, she couldn't help but smile. Templeton Arthur Peck. It was an unusual name, but it had a nice ring to it, she thought. A suitable name for such an attractive and handsome guy.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Zowie called her dad first the reassure him that the operation was a success for now, but she also told him that her patient would be critical for the next 48 hours. Her father congratulated her on her accomplishments. The call was brief and as soon as she hung up the phone, Zowie went to work on her paperwork. She read her patient's name on his medical file: Templeton Arthur Peck. Zowie carefully read through his file. She had to agree with her father. His date of birth was definitely forged.

Zowie started to daydream for a little while. She tried to picture a clear image of her patient. He had beautiful blond somewhat longer hair, the most handsome face Zowie had ever seen and a slender yet muscular built. She had never seen him conscious so she never actually saw the color of his eyes and she never heard him talk. He probably sweeps all the girls of their feet, Zowie thought. He must also have a girlfriend. Who wouldn't want to be with a handsome man like that? Yes, he probably wasn't single anymore.

She snapped out of her daydreaming act and started to write her report on his surgery.

Meanwhile, Face was brought to recovery after his operation and the nurses checked his IV's and hooked him to a monitor to check his heart rhythm. They also put a clamp on one of his fingers to monitor the blood saturation levels. He was still as white as a sheet. They made sure he got a strong painkiller and antibiotics as requested by his doctor.

It was time to try and wake him up from the anesthetic now. The nurse slapped his face and kept calling his name. She tried and tried, but it was of no use. Face didn't react at all. One of the other nurses checked the parameters, but everything was still okay. The nurse tried again several more times, but she couldn't get the patient to open his eyes.

Zowie was startled when her pager suddenly started to go off. She quickly grabbed the device and checked who had called her. She noticed it was the number of the OR and jumped off of her seat and grabbed her phone.

"This is Zowie Stockwell," she said. "Someone paged me. What's going on?"

"Sorry to disturb you, doctor," one of the nurses on duty said, "but we can't seem to wake up Mr. Peck. We have tried everything we possibly could, but nothing seems to work."

"What about his parameters?" She asked worriedly.

"Everything is alright," the nurse said. "I just don't get it."

"I'm on my way over," Zowie said.

She all but ran all the way to the OR and to recovery. Zowie looked at the pale and handsome face of Templeton Peck and she also tried to wake him up by slapping his face while calling his name. She couldn't get him to wake up either. Zowie was getting ever more worried. His parameters were still okay and still he remained unconscious.

"There's only one more solution," she said to the nurses. "We have to get one of his friends or maybe even all of his friends in here. I think he needs their support to fight this. It's a long shot, but it might just do the trick."

Zowie ran outside to the waiting area where the A-team members were still seated. They all looked exhausted, Zowie noticed once again.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, guys," she started, "but we're going to need your help."

"What's up?" B.A. asked concerned.

"We can't wake up Mr. … uh …. Templeton," she said softly. "He should be okay, but he remains unconscious. I think he needs a little support from his team. Will you help me?"

"All of us?" Murdock asked unsure.

"Yes, all of you," she answered him.

They all walked into the recovery room with Zowie. Face had a separate room at the recovery unit due to his condition. He looked so very pale, so not like his usual handsome, tanned self.

"Hey, littl' brother," B.A. started in a small voice. "You're at the hospital. You don't have to worry no more. You're safe. The bullet's gone. You're gonna be fine." He softly squeezed his best friend's bare shoulder.

"Yeah, man," said Frankie. "You've done it. You made it. You're one tough cookie, you know that."

"Hey, Facey. How are you doing, buddy? I bet you'll be happy to hear that we got you to DC General in time," Murdock started to explain. His voice sounded thick with emotion. "The bullet is gone, buddy. You're gonna be just fine. You hear me. You're gonna walk away from this and live. And you're a hero too, you know that? You are a true hero this time, Facey. You single handedly saved all of us back there at the restaurant. So come on, muchacho. Open those beautiful bright blue eyes of yours and give us a little smile. You're surrounded by really cute nurses and one good looking lady doctor who operated on you. I'm sure you want to thank them properly for taking such good care of you. Come on, Facey. Please try." He gently took Face's hand and held it.

Face stirred a bit in his sleep, but wasn't waking up just yet. Murdock looked disappointed, but Zowie pointed out that his words had had a positive effect on her patient's blood pressure and heart rhythm. She offered Murdock a small stool to sit on as he kept holding on to Face's limb hand.

" _Don't you worry, Facey. You're not alone anymore. We're not leaving your side. We're all with you: me, Frankie, the Colonel and the big ugly mud sucker too. We're all here for you. We're family, Facey. We'll never walk out on you."_

Hannibal now approached his second-in-command. He always kept up the image of being a tough leader, but he was also just a human being with feelings. A man who happened to care deeply about the young Lieutenant who got hurt and was now lying in a hospital bed struggling to stay alive. Hannibal had never expressed his deepest feelings to Face, but he knew he had to do something now.

"Temp, son, it's me," he started softly as he grabbed Face's other hand. "I'm glad you've made it, kid. I always knew you were a strong guy. I've noticed that straight away when we met in 'Nam all those years ago. You were so very young when we first met. When I read your file, I knew you've already had a hard life being left by your parents on the footsteps of the orphanage at age five. So you've learned to take care of yourself at an early age. You've managed to get into college where you met your first crush who would also be responsible for breaking your heart. We've learned that some years ago and yet you still cared enough about her to go all the way to Ecuador to help her. That's so typically you, Temp. You never stop caring. I'm glad we met all those years ago and that you became a part of the team. A much needed part I might add. You're a terrific officer and second-in-command and the best supply officer I've ever worked with. Although everyone said you were a spoiled brat who did whatever he wanted and got into trouble all the time, I definitely wanted to have you on my team. And yes, it wasn't always easy. You did disobey me and tried to sneak out to have secretive dates with the nurses at the camp or talk back when you disagreed with me. You spoke your mind and you didn't care whether I was your superior officer or not. But when on a mission, you showed dedication. You always managed to get your team back out safely. They all admired you for your skills and your bravery. It took a while, but I guess I've somehow earned your respect on the way and you started to listen to me or cooperate with me. I saw the big potential in you, kid. You would work your way up in those ranks and I would be by your side to guide you. Off course, when your very own country turned its back on you after that last mission, everything changed. We became fugitives, but we remained a team. I know you were afraid we would leave you, but we never even thought of doing that. I've known you for about 15 years now, kid. That's a long time. You were just a kid when we first met, but you've grown to be a great guy who can take care of himself, is very smart and very caring and dedicated too. I'm proud of the man you have become, Temp. And I also care a lot about you. I care about your wellbeing and your health. I also care about B.A. and Murdock, but still it's a bit different. You had no one in the world but us and I took care of you like a father would have."

Face lightly stirred in his sleep and a small smile appeared on his face. Everyone noticed this! Murdock squeezed his hand and Hannibal did the same. Zowie motioned for him to go on.

"I know I've never said this out loud to you before, Temp, but to me you are the son I've never had. And you make me a very proud father by what you've accomplished and by what you've done today. You are a very important part of this family. We can't lose you, kid. We need you, like you need us. Let me be the father you've always wanted to have, son. It's all I ever wanted! I even want to try and make it official. What do you think about that? We'll never leave you, kid. Ever. You'll never be alone again in your life. I promise you that. You are and will always be a part of our family."

Face's eyes fluttered open. He had a hard time focusing, but nevertheless he tried his utmost best to open his eyes.

"That's it, Facey. Open those beautiful blue eyes of yours," Murdock encouraged his best friend. "I love to see those sparkling eyes of you full of mischief."

It worked. Face was slowly waking up.

"Hey, kid. It's great to have you back," Hannibal said smiling softly.

"Hi, can you tell me your name?" Zowie asked her patient.

He was dazzled for a moment looking at the beautiful woman asking him said question.

"Uh … Templeton … uh Peck," he said in a weak voice.

"Your full name, sweetheart," she said softly.

"Templeton Arthur Peck," he answered her.

Zowie asked a few more questions, until she was sure her patient was fully awake.

"How are you feeling, Templeton?" She asked him.

"Everything … hurts," he said hardly above a whisper. "So much … pain … Pain when I … breathe. Feel so … weak. Tired. But … glad to be … alive." He looked his best friend in the eyes when he said that feeling ever so grateful for what he had done for him.

"So are we, Facey," Murdock chimed in feeling proud. "So are we."

"Yeah man. We are," B.A. said and Frankie nodded his head.

"I'm very proud of you, son," Hannibal said. "You just rest now. I'm sure you'll need plenty of it."

"Thanks," he said smiling. "Means a … lot … to … me. Love you ..: Murdock … B.A. … Frank. Love you … too … dad." He smiled and his eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

"Try to sleep now, Templeton," Zowie said. "You do need lots of rest to recover."

He nodded his head, smiled one last time and closed his eyes drifting off to a peaceful slumber.

"He's going to be alright," Zowie reassured the members of the team. "He sure is a very strong young man with an iron will to live. We will transfer him to the ICU now. As I said before, you guys can stay there with him. I believe you are all crucial elements to his recovery. He needs your support and comfort and we need to reassure him at all times that he's not alone. I believe that this is especially important. If you guys follow me? Mr. Peck … uh … Templeton will be brought over to the ICU by the nurses.

The team settled in to the room before their friend arrived. Zowie arranged for comfortable chairs, pillows and blankets for the 4 members of the team.

"You guys also need to rest," she stated. "You all look like hell. I know how hard this has been on all of you. Templeton is in good hands. We will monitor him closely for the next 2 days."

The door to the room opened and two nurses pushed Face's bed inside. He was still sleeping. He looked so peaceful. Although he still looked awfully pale, he wore a smile on his face. The nurses installed the bed and left the room. Zowie stayed behind with the team.

"I don't think he'll wake up any time soon," said Zowie. "He has had a strong anesthetic."

The team decided to get some much needed sleep themselves. They all walked up to their friend first. Frankie softly patted his shoulder. B.A. squeezed both his hand and his shoulder to tell him he wasn't leaving his side. Murdock gently took Face's hand in his.

"Hey, Facey," he said. "Don't worry. We are right here with you. You're not alone."

The change in his heart rhythm pattern showed that he knew what his friend told him. Murdock softly pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Hey, son," Hannibal said. "You've heard Murdock. We're not leaving you. None of us are! We are all here for you until you get well again. You just rest, okay."

Hannibal softly stroked his blond hair. Again there was a change in his heart rhythm pattern. Murdock and B.A. eyed the monitor suspiciously.

"Don't worry," Zowie said smiling. "This sudden change just means he heard you and he really likes the message. It's a positive sign meaning he loves you too."

The men smiled relieved. Zowie said her goodbyes for now and left the room. The A-team members all got comfortable in one of the chairs with their pillows and blankets. It didn't take long before all of their eyes were closed and everyone dozed off into a well-deserved sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

When morning came, the team slowly woke up but Face was still sound asleep. Murdock jumped out of his chair and walked up to his sick friend. Face was still sleeping peacefully.

"He's alright, Captain," Hannibal reassured him. "I have been awake a couple of times, but nothing happened. He was doing okay all night. That's a very good sign."

"Thank God," Murdock answered him. "I kept blaming myself for what happened, Hannibal. I told him to do something. Oh God. I could have killed him. I don't know what I would do without him."

"It's … okay," came a muffled answer before Hannibal could respond.

"Facey? You're awake," Murdock said overwhelmed with joy.

"Yeah," he said trying to smile. "Don't … blame … you. Not … your … fault."

Hannibal stood up and walked up to the bed. He grabbed a hold of Face's hand.

"Don't try and talk too much, kid," he softly said. "You're still very weak. You need to rest right now. We can talk about all of this later."

Face nodded his head.

"How are you feeling, son?" He asked some more. "Are you in pain?"

"Lots … of … pain. Hurts … to … breathe," he managed to say.

"They'll give you another painkiller pretty soon, son. Don't worry," Hannibal said. "You just stay calm and try to relax. Okay?"

"Thanks … dad," he answered while smiling.

Hannibal squeezed his hand reassuringly. The day went by without further complications. Face indeed got a new painkiller and he was out for most of the day. He was never alone in the room. At least one member of the team would always stay with him just to be sure. Another night and day went by and Face's parameters were still okay. It was now safe to say that he wasn't in a critical condition anymore. His team mates cheered, but all Face did was sleep.

He was moved to a different room in a different wing of the hospital. Zowie still checked up on him on a regular basis and she also made sure his friends could stay with him in his new room.

When Face woke up and blinked his eyes, he noticed he was in a different room.

"Hey, kid," Hannibal said softly. "Glad to see you waking up again."

"Where am I?" Face asked feeling confused.

"You're at DC General, kid. We brought you here a couple of days ago. Don't you remember?" Hannibal asked getting a little worried.

"Yeah. I do remember getting shot at the restaurant Murdock was working," Face answered.

"You had surgery and your condition was critical for 2 days," Hannibal explained. "They've brought you over to a normal room instead of the ICU."

"You was out cold, man," B.A. said. "Had me worried about ya."

"But still you were able to charm all the ladies, my friend," Frankie replied.

"Really?" He asked smiling. "Charm them, huh. I must still be looking good if I pulled that off."

"Tell you the truth, kid. You look like hell right now. You're pale as a sheet and your hair is a mess," Hannibal said laughing.

"Jeez thanks, Hannibal," came Face's sarcastic reply.

"He's gettin' better, Hannibal," B.A. said giggling.

"Yeah. Better start looking hot again, Face, 'cause you have one gorgeous lady doctor taking care of you," Frankie told him.

"Gorgeous doctor?" He asked all confused.

"I have to agree with Frankie on that one," Hannibal said. "Stockwell indeed has a very beautiful daughter."

"What? How can she be beautiful if she's related to him?" Face muttered. He never did like the general.

"You'll soon see for yourself," Frankie said. "Hey if you're not asking her on a date, mind if I do?"

Murdock – who had left the room to get some coffee for the group – now entered the room of his best friend.

"Hey, buddy. You're awake! How are you doing?" He asked in a small voice. Murdock – despite everything- still felt responsible for what had happened to Face. Face – being his best friend – immediately picked up on that.

"I'm doing fine, Murdock," Face said smiling. "Really. You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened. I don't blame you. You couldn't have known that that guy was with them and I should have seen him point his gun at me."

"Nobody's to blame but them suckers who pulled the trigger on ya," B.A. argued. "No need to feel bad about not seeing him, Face."

"B.A. is right," Hannibal agreed. "Neither of you are to blame. We're just glad to have you back, Face. We've missed you, son."

"Thanks," he said.

The cups of coffee were handed out and Murdock decided to sit next to his best friend's bed.

"Murdock, I'm fine. Really!" Face said to him. Murdock had looked at him with cute puppy dog eyes. "So, when can I go home?" He asked Hannibal.

"I don't know, kid. You might be feeling better, but it's probably just the meds doing their job. Your injuries were pretty serious and you've lost quite a lot of blood. I don't think you'll be going home very soon."

"What? But I hate hospitals," Face whined. "Can't you just have them release me so I can go back to Langley with you guys. I'll rest. I promise I'll rest."

"You're not going anywhere until your fit enough, Lieutenant," Hannibal said. "That's an order."

Face pouted.

"It ain't working, fool," B.A. said. "Hannibal's right. Gotta rest."

They all knew how much Face hated hospitals. Face merely sighed. A few minutes later, two young nurses walked into the room.

"Oh, good morning, Mr. Peck," one of them said. "I see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Never been better especially now that you're here," Face answered smiling his dazzling smile. The young nurse blushed.

Hannibal rolled his eyes.

"Only Mr. Peck's definition of fine is slightly different than that of the rest of us," Hannibal explained to the young woman. "He is just trying to get you to release him so he can go home."

"I'm sorry," the young nurse said. "But I'm afraid that's impossible. You still need fluid, antibiotics and painkillers and you've only just been transferred from the ICU. You also lost a whole lot of blood, so you might still need a blood transfusion too. I'm not sure. You are under strict medical care from Dr. Stockwell herself. She usually doesn't do the follow-up."

"You see, kid. I told ya so," Hannibal said smiling.

The nurses politely asked the group of men to leave the room, so they could check the IV's and replace them when necessary and they also wanted to clean up the patient and get his vitals.

"It's alright, son," Hannibal said. "We won't be far. We'll just wait outside your door. If you need us, just call us. Okay?"

Face sighed. He hated feeling helpless and the guys knew it. The nurses checked his IV and replaced the empty bags of fluid, pain meds and antibiotics. They also took his temperature and his blood pressure. His temperature was still slightly elevated meaning the infection wasn't completely gone yet.

"We also need to change the dressing on your abdominal wound," the nurse explained while folding back the covers on his bed.

Face shivered and realized suddenly he was only wearing his silk pair of boxers. The nurses immediately went to work on removing the bandage and cleaning the wound. Face desperately tried not to cry out in pain as the disinfectant made contact with his skin. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through it.

"I'm sorry," one of the nurses said feeling bad for the patient. "I know it hurts a lot. I'm trying to be as gentle as I can be."

Face tried to smile, but he was sure he failed miserably. After 10 agonizing minutes the nurses re-dressed the wound.

One of the nurses left the room while the other one stayed with him and scribbled something down on his file. As the blankets were still at the foot of the bed, Face was still shivering and he started to feel really uncomfortable lying there in just his underwear. The second nurse returned with a bowl of water and set it down onto the small table next to Face's bed. He eyed the bowl suspiciously.

"Okay. Now let's get you cleaned up," the nurse said while putting a washing cloth into the bowl.

Before he could do so much as utter a word of protest, both of the nurses went to work on washing him. Although he usually loved the attention girls gave him because of his good looks, Face was also basically a very insecure young man. Being the true conman he was, he tried nevertheless to hide his discomfort and insecurity from the nurses.

"Would you like me to wash your hair?" One of the nurses asked him smiling sweetly. She no doubt had enjoyed cleaning him up.

"Yes, I would. Thanks!" He answered her smiling as well as he suddenly remembered Hannibal telling him his hair looked a mess.

If anything, Face hated to look a mess. So he let the nurse wash his hair.

"Anything else we can do for you, Mr. Peck?" The young nurse asked after she was finished with everything.

"Well," he started feeling somewhat shy and uncomfortable. "It's rather cold in here. Would you be so kind as to hand me a pair of my pajamas?"

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I can't do that. Doctor Stockwell specifically said you were not allowed to wear pajamas just yet until the wound is starting to heal properly. We cannot put any sort of pressure on the wound just yet. You're also on strict bedrest and are not allowed to get out of bed. I'm really sorry! Anything else we can do to make you feel better?"

"Well … Since we have gotten to know one another this closely already, you might as well give me your phone number, nurse … uh …," he said being the big flirt he was.

"Wendy," she answered him blushing.

"Wendy," he replied smiling his dazzling smile. "What a lovely name. It really suits you, you know."

"Thanks, Mr. Peck," she said blushing even more.

"You can drop the mister, Wendy," he continued. "It makes me sound so old. My name is Templeton, but my friends usually call me Face. Now Wendy, I was wondering if you would perhaps like to go out and have a drink with me when I'm discharged from this place?"

"Yes sure, Templeton," she said smiling herself. "I would love to go on a date with you." She scribbled her phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

"Thanks, Wendy," he said. "I'll sure give you a call. Thanks for taking such good care of me."

The nurse still smiled when she left his room and the guys looked at one another knowingly. They went back inside.

"You cleaned up nicely," Hannibal teased. He knew how much Face hated being cleaned up, but he did look a whole lot better already.

Face rolled his eyes.

"The way that girl was smiling when she left your room, I'm sure you've asked her out or somethin'. Didn't you?" Frankie said enthusiastically.

"I've got her number," Face answered him.

"How do you do it?" Frankie asked.

"Oh well, it's just this gift I've got," Face started to explain.

"He's good lookin' and wearin' next to nothin'. Hard to say no to," B.A. said giggling.

The whole team was laughing by now and Face felt even more uncomfortable.

"I hate being this exposed and I'm cold too," he said sharply. "Can someone please get me a pair of pajamas?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Peck, but we can't allow that just yet," came another female voice. Zowie Stockwell entered the room of her patient. "We need to check and re-dress that wound at all times and the tissue surrounding the incision is still very tender. I can however ask one of the nurses to bring you a hospital gown to wear if that would make you feel any better? "

Face was speechless for once in his life. Zowie walked into the room and stood next to his bed. Face thought she was the most beautiful and gorgeous creature he had ever seen in his entire life. She was tall and slender and had bright blue eyes and long wavy brown hair.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said softly. "How impolite of me, I don't think I have properly introduced myself to you. My name is Zowie Stockwell. I am your surgeon." She extended her hand and prayed to God her hand wouldn't start trembling.

"Hi," was all he managed to utter. He felt like a complete fool.

"How are you feeling today, Mr. Peck?" She asked him smiling.

"Fine. Just fine," Face answered. He already regretted asking the nurse's phone number earlier. What he wouldn't give to go out with this lady doctor. "But please, call me Templeton or Face."

"Are you telling me the truth, Templeton?" She asked looking at him intensely with her piercing blue eyes. She nearly got lost in his bright blue ones.

It was as if she could see straight through him.

"Well … uh … I," he stammered. "I … uh … do feel a bit better."

Zowie did her utmost best to stay as professional as she could. It wasn't easy! Templeton Peck was indeed a handsome man with his longish, boyish looking hair and his bright sparkling blue eyes.

"You are one very lucky guy," Zowie said. "Your friends barely got you here on time. We've managed to get the bullet out and stop the bleeding, but I had to remove your spleen in the process."

"My spleen …," he said starting to get nervous all of a sudden.

"Yes," Zowie explained. "But you don't need to worry about that. You can easily live without your spleen. You might be more susceptible to infections in the future and you'll need to take daily meds for the coming 2 years. You'll also need to get some shots for the flu and such, just to be safe. I'm afraid you will also need to see your doctor more often especially when you develop a fever."

"Daily meds and shots and regular visits to the doctor," Face repeated. He so hated all of that.

"That's right," Zowie replied. "We can't be too careful. Simple infections may become life threatening for you if we don't treat them properly. But nevertheless, your surgery was a big success and you are already recovering quite nicely. You are a very strong man, Templeton."

Zowie chatted some more with her patient and his friends and also briefly examined Face. Face was starting to get sleepy once again after a while and tried his utmost best to suppress a yawn.

"Tired, Lieutenant?" Hannibal asked him.

Face so badly wanted to say no, because he didn't want Zowie to leave just yet. He hadn't said that much himself, but he just loved to listen to the conversations going on. But mostly he liked to observe the gorgeous lady doctor when she was talking to his friends. He was so dazed by her beauty that he forgot to answer his commanding officer's question. It wasn't until Zowie's blue eyes met his blue ones that he snapped out of his daze.

"Are you tired, Templeton?" She asked him softly.

"Yeah, I guess," he admitted never once breaking eye contact with her.

"That's probably because of the heavy painkiller you're on and the antibiotics kicking in to fight the infection," she explained some more. "You really need a lot of rest in order to feel better."

By now he had a hard time keeping his eyes open all together. Zowie and his friends watched him softly dozing off.

"He must have been exhausted," Zowie said while watching her patient falling asleep.

"I bet he was," Hannibal stated. "That's so typically Face. He hardly ever admits to be sick or in pain."

"Fool's too stubborn. Says he's fine when he's not. Rather pass out than admit he's sick," B.A. said.

"Facey is so used to taking care of himself growing up in an orphanage," Murdock explained. "Admitting you're sick is a weakness and he hates being weak. He never had a mom or dad nursing him when he was sick. He never had anyone until he met us, but he still needs to learn to open up and admit he needs help."

"I think, Mr. Murdock, that deep down he really knows he can count on you guys. I can see that you have a really strong bond going. Having you here with him is crucial to his recovery," she said. "I have to go and see my other patients now, but I'll be back later today to check up on him some more."

"Thanks, doctor," Hannibal said. "I really appreciate what you're doing for all of us."

"You're welcome," she said smiling. "And please, call me Zowie."

As soon as she left, Hannibal and Murdock sat down in their chairs next to Face's bed so they could keep a close eye on their friend. B.A. took a seat at the window and Frankie just paced the room.

"Some piece of work that doctor," he said. "I would love to be in Face's shoes right now and get her undivided attention."

"Don't get no funny thoughts," B.A. said to him.

"Huh?" Frankie asked clearly not following.

"She only had eyes for the patient, Frank," Murdock answered the question.

"She did manage to shut him up," Hannibal said. "That's a new one. Never seen that before!"

"Maybe something good will come of this," Murdock answered smiling.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

The team spent the rest of the day with their friend who was sleeping peacefully most of the time. Every now and then, one of them stepped outside the room to get something to drink or to eat for the other members of the team. Nobody complained once about having to spent time with their injured team mate while he recovered from his injuries.

" _No!"_

The team members were startled when their friend suddenly and out of nowhere started to scream on top of his lungs. He was tossing and turning wildly in the small hospital bed and his breathing had picked up.

" _No. No, please."_

Hannibal stood up and walked towards the bed.

"Hey, son. It's alright!" He said softly. "We're all here for you. You just need to stay calm."

He put his hand on Face's shoulder and immediately felt the heat radiating from his skin.

"He's burning up. That's not good," Hannibal said to the others. "Somebody please go notify the nurses so they can page Zowie."

Frankie and B.A. ran out of the room in search of the nurses on duty. Meanwhile, Hannibal and Murdock tried to calm Face down.

"Temp, son. You've got to wake up now. Come on! Open your eyes," Hannibal said.

"Come on, Facey. We're here for you. Please listen to the Colonel," Murdock chimed in.

Finally Face opened his feverish, glassy looking blue eyes. Beads of sweat were visible on his pale face and his breathing was still very shallow. He looked at Hannibal and Murdock clearly without realizing who they were.

"Facey, it's me buddy," Murdock tried grabbing his best friend's hand. "Don't you recognize me?"

Face withdrew his hand and his breathing picked up even more.

"I don't think he knows who we are, Murdock," Hannibal said. "He really is burning up. I'm pretty sure he's delirious."

" _Oh God. No. No !"_

Hannibal looked at Face and immediately saw what was going on.

"Murdock, grab a bin will ya. Quick!" He all but yelled while lifting up a weakened Face's upper body and supporting his weight.

As soon as the bin was placed in front of him, Face started to throw up violently. His whole body was convulsing and pain was etched on his pale, greenish features. He was so weak he could barely sit upright, so Hannibal had to support him at all times.

"It's alright, son," he soothed. "I know it hurts. Believe me. I know. It's just your body reacting to the medication. We both know you always have a tendency to react badly to anesthetics and antibiotics. Zowie had no choice but to use both of them."

Meanwhile, Face kept throwing up non-stop. Heat was radiating off of his slim body and sweat was pouring down too. He was so weak he nearly passed out in between convulsions.

B.A. and Frankie returned informing Hannibal that they had notified the nurses and they had immediately paged Zowie. They also witnessed now how sick their team mate was. Hannibal held him up the best he could, because he was too weak to support his own slender frame. Face was a light weight as his friends all knew.

"He's burning up and has been throwing up non-stop," Murdock informed the others. "It's really bad this time. He doesn't even recognize us because of his fever and I don't think he has anything left in his system to throw up. I've always known he reacts badly to medication, but it was never this bad."

Face was moaning in pain as all he threw up by now was stomach acid which hurt even more.

"It's alright, Temp," Hannibal said softly. He ran his hand through Face's damp blond hair while doing his utmost best to support him.

Face was completely drained of any and all energy and still threw up. Hannibal was really worried by now. It didn't take long before Zowie came running into the room.

"Oh, God," she said as she noticed her weakened patient in the arms of Hannibal. "He is suffering severely from the after effects of the anesthetic and antibiotics."

"He can't seem to stop throwing up and convulsing," Hannibal explained," and heat is radiating off of him. I don't think he even recognizes us."

Zowie decided to check his fever first and noticed that Face was indeed delirious due to his high temperature. She made sure he got an IV with extra fluids to stop him from dehydrating and she also decided to inject him with something to stop him from throwing up. The convulsions could cause his abdominal wound to re-open and start to bleed again which wasn't good at all. To top things off, he started to gasp for air. Zowie grabbed an oxygen mask and quickly put it on him. Hannibal now felt Face go limp in his arms.

"It's alright, Mr. Smith. You can lay him down now," Zowie said. "He is truly exhausted and very, very sick. The injection should do its job to stop the nausea. He will be out of it for a while and we'll keep him on oxygen just to be safe. We'll also closely monitor his condition, but he should be alright. I'll have to check his abdominal wound to make sure he didn't rip the stitches or anything."

Hannibal and Murdock softly helped Face lay down on his bed and Zowie pulled down the covers to his waist in order to check the wound. The bandage was already red soaked and Zowie immediately knew that the wound had indeed re-opened. He was once again losing blood and couldn't effort to lose anymore. She carefully removed the bandage and was glad that her patient was unconscious.

"That's not good," she explained. "I'll have to stitch him back up, but I can't use any kind of anesthetic right now. It is going to hurt real bad so he'll probably wake up while I'm attending to the wound and he's not going to be happy. He'll probably also need another blood transfusion."

"I'll stay right here by his side. Murdock, you better stay here too if you can," Hannibal said to his Captain. "You're Face's best friend and he trusts you. You might be able to keep him calm."

"He is going to need the both of you. That's for sure!" Zowie stated. "Are you ready for this?"

Both men sighed. Sure they were special forces and trained military experts that could handle nearly everything, but they hated to see their friend in agony. Even Zowie, being a trained surgeon, held her breath.

She tried to keep as professional as she could. She ordered the nurses to get another bag of blood to start the transfusion and started to gently swab away the blood at first to check the damage to the wound. Zowie poured some disinfectant into it, before she started to stitch it back up. Face woke up straight away as he felt an agonizing pain in his abdominal area.

"It's alright, kid," Hannibal tried to soothe him. "You've ripped some of the stitches when you were sick. Zowie has to re-stitch them. But because you obviously have a bad reaction to the anesthetic and antibiotics, she can't sedate you anymore. You just try to stay calm okay?"

Face's bright blue eyes were pain filled and both Hannibal and Murdock hated to see him like this. Face had always been a strong guy who could take care of himself, but every now and then a glimpse of his hidden insecurity surfaced and it surely did now. They both knew he was hurting bad.

"Facey, we know," Murdock merely said. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this, buddy. But we are here for you. We won't leave your side. I promise. Just hold on and squeeze our hand if you need to or scream or cry or whatever you need to do. We understand."

Face didn't answer but squeezed both of their hands. He didn't scream or cry at all, although the pain he went to was excruciating. Zowie tried her utmost best to be as careful as she could and also tried to finish the job as soon as she could. When she was finally finished, Face was drained of all energy.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through this," she said softly while smiling encouragingly. "It's all over now. I'm really sorry you had to go through this. I just really want you to know this: I've never ever witnessed anyone who's as strong as you have been just now."

He attempted to smile at her and she smiled back at him.

"Better get some rest now," she said while running a hand through his soft blond hair. "You're obviously drained of all energy. Sleep will do you a world of good. Your friends can all stay with you if you like."

He tried to nod, but even doing that seemed to take too much energy. He closed his eyes and almost immediately fell asleep.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Hannibal asked worriedly.

"He's going to be fine," Zowie said. "He is a fighter. He'll pull through. He just has a long way to go."

The team once again decided to stay with their injured friend. He slept soundly throughout the rest of the day and the following night. Zowie still monitored his condition. She was also in close touch with her father on this case.

"How is Lieutenant Peck doing?" He asked his daughter as she called in.

"He's doing better," she said. "He had a real bad reaction towards the medication and I had to re-stitch his wound. We altered the medication straight away and he seems to be recovering well for now. He still is in a lot of pain, however. I keep my eye on him."

"That's great," Stockwell answered her. "But we can't keep him at the hospital any longer. Maybe it's best to stop giving him morphine."

"What? I can't just do that, dad. I need to slowly adjust his dose. But he is not ready to be released just yet!" Zowie exclaimed.

"Zowie darling. It's way too risky," he tried to explain.

"Isn't he supposed to be dead or something?" Zowie asked.

"That was the rumor," Stockwell said. "But their bodies were never found, so technically they could have escaped and gone underground again. I can't risk anyone finding out they're connected to me. I've promised these men I would clear their names and I intent to do that eventually."

"So what, dad? Where will you sent him? Not on any mission. He is not fit for duty at all and isn't going to be fit for some time. You can't split them up either, because he depends on his friends help and support," she explained. "And did I mention he still requires expert medical help."

"I'll keep that in mind, darling. I promise," Stockwell said. "And I won't send anyone on any sort of mission. I'll just have him transferred home to Langley. His friends can look after him and you can follow up on how he's improving as his personal physician. How about that, huh?"

Zowie couldn't help but smile. She would still get to see Templeton Peck and keep a close eye on his health. She was really looking forward to spending time with him and getting to know him better. Of course, she didn't tell her dad this as she was afraid he would ask for another doctor to do the follow-up on his case. After her rounds were finished, Zowie decided to drop in on her patient. Face sat up in his bed supported by some pillows and he was trying to eat some light toast and some soup. His stomach still couldn't digest more. He was still very pale and he had lost quit some weight he wasn't supposed to lose in the first place. However, Zowie was glad he at least ate a little something of solid foods.

"Hi," she said as she walked into the room.

"Hey, Zowie," the guys all greeted her.

Face smiled at her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked her patient.

"I'm doing fine," he said smiling that charming smile of his.

"Kid, you're idea of fine is not the same as ours," Hannibal said while chewing on his cigar. "Zowie is your doctor. You shouldn't try to con her. Out with the truth. Now Lieutenant. That's an order."

"I still don't feel so well," he admitted sighing. "I don't feel nauseous anymore, but my stomach is still upset though. The only think I manage to keep down is some soup and some toast and that's about it. I just wish I could at least drink a nice cup of coffee or something like that."

"What about the pain?" Zowie asked.

Face wanted to try and lie about it, but he met a pair of his Colonel's angry piercing blue eyes.

"It only hurts when I breathe," he admitted.

"That bad, huh. Let me see what I can do about it to make you feel more comfortable," Zowie said. "You shouldn't be suffering anymore. You've suffered too much already."

"Uh … Yeah … Uh … thanks," Face stammered.

"Now. I've got some news for you," she went on. "I just spoke with my dad on the phone and he thinks it's about time to release you from the hospital just to be safe. He wants to move you back to Langley tonight."

"Really," Hannibal chimed in. "So he is worried about you, Face. Is he ready to be released yet?"

"Well, I wasn't happy myself," Zowie explained. "But I understand his reasons. As long as Mr. Peck rests, he'll be alright. He needs lots of rest to recover and my dad knows that too. You won't be sent on any mission any time soon. By the way, I'll act as Mr. Peck's personal physician so I can keep my eye on him."

She noticed her slip up a little late and started to blush.

"Uh .. His condition that is," she said quickly.

"I'd like that," Face said smiling. He was well aware of the effect he seemed to have on her. "But please, call me Templeton or Face. Can I call you Zowie as well?"

"Yes, sure," she said. "I'll come by when you get released tonight. Okay?"

"Great," he answered her. "Are you still on duty afterwards?"

"No why?" She asked him getting curious.

"Would you mind going with us to Langley?" He asked. "I just don't feel that good and I'm worried I might get sick all over again when they move me and have me seated in my chair."

"Would that make you feel more comfortable?" She asked him.

"It would," he admitted honestly for once.

"Then I'll come with you and keep an eye on your condition," she said softly.

Later that evening, it was finally time for the team to check their injured team mate out. Zowie made her way over to his room. Her father had dropped off her car at the Langley house already. As she entered the room, she noticed that Face was sleeping.

"He's asleep," Murdock explained. "The Colonel's about to wake him."

"I don't like waking him up," Hannibal admitted. "Our Lieutenant usually gets a little cranky while being woken up too soon to his likings."

"Maybe I should try," Zowie suggested.

"Would you?" Hannibal asked looking at B.A. and Murdock.

She walked over to his bed and softly began to run a hand through his hair.

"Temp," she said softly. "It's time for you to wake up and go home. Can you open your eyes for me? I know you're tired and I know you want to sleep some more and you can once we get you home and into your own bed. But right now, you have to work with your friends. Okay? We have to try and get you home somehow."

His eyes fluttered open and he looked into the caring deep blue eyes of Zowie.

"Am I dreaming or is this real?" He whispered sleepily.

"It's real," she whispered back smiling softly while playing with his soft, long, blond hair.

He tiredly rubbed his eyes and opened them. His room was crowded with his friends and Zowie.

"Time to go home, son," Hannibal said.

"I hope you at least brought my pajamas with you this time," Face whined.

"Sure did, muchacho," Murdock happily answered his best friend. "I brought your favorite pair of silk pajamas and your matching robe."

"Thanks, buddy," Face said. "I can't exactly go back home dressed in this hospital gown now can I?"

Without saying another word he tried to sit up in bed. The action drained him of most of his energy and left him gasping for air. It also hurt like hell! Face closed his eyes as his room started to spin.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hannibal barked.

"Going to the bathroom to get dressed," he answered him with his eyes still closed.

"Like hell you are," Hannibal replied back. "You just had surgery and you're in no condition to move around. Now whether you like it or not, Lieutenant, you're going to let someone help you get dressed."

"I can take care of myself you know Hannibal," Face pouted. He managed to get up and shift to the edge of his bed, before he pushed himself off of it. He immediately felt as if his knees were going to buckle underneath his light weight.

Hannibal and Zowie were able to grab his arms before he collapsed onto the cold floor.

"Sure, kid," Hannibal said. "Be stubborn as usual."

They helped Face back on his bed and slowly pushed him down on his back again. Since he was out anyway, Hannibal decided they could re-dress him in his pajamas now without him putting up another fight. When Face opened his eyes again after a little while, he already wore his pajama pants and Zowie was busy buttoning up his pajama top.

"Happy now, kid?" Hannibal asked him.

"We'll put on your robe once we get you up," Zowie added. "But we're going to do this nice and slowly and you have to let someone help you up. Okay?"

Face nodded his head. Murdock helped Hannibal and together they slowly eased their wounded friend up. Zowie already had his robe and helped him into it.

"You okay?" Hannibal asked concerned.

"I'm fine," Face answered him trying to breathe through the pain.

"It's alright. Take it easy. We don't have to rush," Zowie assured him. "I know you're in an awful lot of pain. As soon as you're ready, we'll help you into the wheelchair and get you to the van."

"Wheelchair" Face exclaimed. "I …"

"You'll sit in that wheelchair without so much as complaining and that's final. You hear me, Lieutenant," Hannibal said angrily. He hated to see Face this stubborn.

"Yes, sir," Face answered him sarcastically.

When he was up to it, Hannibal and Murdock helped him up and into the wheelchair. Face didn't say another word. B.A. covered his friend's trembling frame with a blanket and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. They walked up to the van and B.A. opened the sliding door at once. He had also made sure that Face's chair was tilted back a little so he could semi lie down instead of sitting up and suffering all the way back to Langley. Zowie sat next to him and Murdock took the other side in the back near the door. Hannibal sat in his usual spot in the front and B.A. carefully drove them back home.

Zowie kept a close eye on Face.

"Are you feeling alright?" She asked as she noticed beads of sweat appearing on his still pale features.

"Fine," he said.

"We're almost there," she said softly. "Hang in there. I know you're in pain."

He closed his eyes and turned his head away from her.

"Don't take it personal," Murdock whispered to Zowie as she looked defeated. "He's always cranky when he's not feeling well or is in pain.

It didn't take long before the van pulled into the long driveway to the house in Langley.

"We're here, Facey. We're home," Murdock said to his best friend.

Hannibal opened the sliding door of the van and helped Zowie out. Murdock helped Face up and Hannibal supported his weight as well. They gently lifted him into the wheelchair and made their way into the house.

"Let's get you to bed, Lieutenant. You look worn out," Hannibal said.

"How are you going to do that?" Zowie asked.

"I can carry Face. Nothin' to it," B.A. answered her. "I've done it before too."

He gently lifted his friend from the wheelchair and picked him up in his strong arms. Hannibal led Zowie upstairs to Face's bedroom so she could check on him before he went to sleep. B.A. softly put Face down in his own bed and left the room to join Murdock downstairs in the living room.

"I'm going to check you over real quickly before I go," Zowie said to Face. "Afterwards you'll be able to get some much needed rest."

"I'll leave you two alone," Hannibal said. "I'll just be downstairs when you need me. Okay, son?"

Face merely nodded his head.

Zowie grabbed her medical bag and sat back down beside her patient.

"I'll take your vitals and check your wound," she said.

She softly unbuttoned his pajama top and started to check the wound at first.

"Okay," she said. "Everything looks alright. That's good news."

She took his pulse, temperature and heart rate. He had a rapid pulse and his temperature was slightly elevated but not alarming.

"Want me to give you a little something for the pain?" Zowie asked him.

"Yes," he answered her.

Zowie prepared a little injection and Face eyed the needle suspiciously. She gently dabbed his skin with a disinfectant. Face tried to withdraw his arm.

"What's the matter?" Zowie asked him gently.

"I hate needles," he admitted.

"Oh, I see. Don't worry!" she tried to reassure him. "You won't feel a thing."

"Oh. I've heard that one before," Face said. "That doctor jabbed the needle inside of me like I was some sort of needle cushion."

"I'm not like that. I don't want to hurt you," Zowie said.

" _Yeah okay, but how …"_

Face started to say but he was interrupted when Zowie pressed her lips to his in a loving, tender kiss. For a moment, Face was in a daze. Zowie seized the moment to inject him and he didn't feel a thing.

"All done," she said smiling.

Face could hardly believe it.

"How …" He started to say.

"You needed some distraction," she said. "Anything to keep your mind from thinking about the needle piercing your skin."

"Well, it certainly helped," he said. "I didn't feel a thing."

"See. Told you so," she said.

"Any chance you could do it again?" Face asked smiling his charming smile.

"Jab a needle in your skin? You'll have to wait about 4 hours before I can give you another dose," she teased.

" _No thanks. I'll be fine. I was …"_

"You're welcome," Zowie whispered back. He read the mischief in her eyes.

"Will I see you again?" He asked her softly.

"Sure. I am your personal physician for now. I'll be back first thing in the morning to check on you. Just try to get some sleep," she said smiling softly.

She grabbed her medical bag from the nightstand and prepared to leave his room.

"Can I ask you one more thing before you go?" he said. "That kiss. Did it mean anything to you?"

"Sure it did, Temp," she said smiling sweetly.

"Temp huh," he smiled as well. "I just might like that. And I liked that kiss as well."

"That makes two of us," she said. "Goodnight, handsome. Sweet dreams!"

"Good night, gorgeous," he answered her as she left his room.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

That night, Face slept like a baby. His teammates had hardly ever watched him sleep that peacefully. They were all relieved. It had been a touch and go this time as they nearly lost him at the restaurant. Murdock still felt guilty as hell. Hannibal had informed Zowie and she made sure that Murdock could talk to someone about this, but she knew that he really had to talk things over with Face.

Meanwhile, Face was steadily recovering. He was still on bedrest and was starting to get restless by now. Hannibal had noticed his second-in-command becoming restless and had ordered him to stay in bed. Zowie came by every day to check on her patient's progress. She had gotten to know the guys really well by now and they were all very fond of her. Hannibal had told her about Face desperately wanting to get up.

She arrived at the Langley house again early that morning. Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. were already up and having breakfast. Face was still asleep. She walked up to his room and gently sat down on the bed beside him. He was once again sleeping peacefully and she couldn't help but study his handsome features. She softly ran her hand through his blond hair and caressed his cheek softly. Face's eyes fluttered open.

"Hi, gorgeous," he said smiling that dazzling smile of his.

"Hi, handsome," she answered him. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Great now that you're here to take care of me," he said smiling.

"Okay, let's check you over to see whether or not you're telling the truth," she said. By now she did know how he pretended to be 'fine' when he was anything but.

Before he could object, she slid a thermometer underneath his tongue. She was glad to see he didn't have a temperature anymore. She rolled up the sleeve of his silk pajama top to take his blood pressure and was glad to see that it was almost back to normal.

"Okay. All good," she explained herself.

She pushed back his covers.

"Now, I want you to take of your pajama top so I can listen to your heart rate and also check on the wound. The stitches need to come out by now. Can you try to do that for me?" She asked while helping him to sit up in his bed.

"Sure," he said in a confident way. "No problem at all!"

He started to unbutton his pajama top while Zowie grabbed her stethoscope from her medical bag. As he was about to pull his arms out of his top, he hissed in pain. Zowie's blue eyes locked with his for a moment

"I'm fine," Face lied but Zowie noticed how he tried to block the pain etched on his handsome face.

She merely raised her eyebrows at him without saying a word.

"I'm okay. Really! So it might have hurt a tiny bit when I took off my pajama top, but it's better already," he told her.

Zowie, however, wasn't convinced. She listened to his heart while keeping a close eye on him. She could tell he was still suffering. Afterwards, she helped him to lie back down in bed and started to gently remove the bandages from his abdominal wound to check how it was healing.

"Your wound is healing quite nicely," she stated. "It will probably be just a minor scar. We'll just have to do something about the pain. I'm going to remove the stitches now. You might feel that. So I'm going to give you a mild, local sedative and something to help you deal with the pain."

She grabbed a needle from her bag and started to prepare the shot.

"A needle again? Really, Zowie?" Face whined.

"You've survived last time, didn't you?" She teased him. "You didn't feel a thing."

" _No, but you …"_

"I might surprise you if you hold still for just a minute. It won't hurt. I promise you that," she said softly. "Just try and relax. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. You can do it!"

Face squeezed his eyes shut as Zowie inserted the needle into his abdomen. He tensed up straight away.

"Relax. It's almost over," she tried to re-assure him.

Face just kept his eyes shut until he suddenly felt a soft hand caressing his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked into Zowie's sparkling blue ones. She didn't say a word but grabbed both sides of his face in her hands and kissed him while burying her hands in his soft hair. Face relaxed into the kiss and started to kiss her back. He entangled both of his hands in her long curls. They came up for air and Zowie let her hands wander from his broad shoulders to his chest and to his abs.

"You shouldn't feel a thing," she said smiling as she started to work on removing his stitches.

Face was speechless for once! It didn't take long for Zowie to finish what she was doing and she once again checked the scar. His wound was really healing nicely and Zowie decided to re-dress the wound to keep it from getting infected somehow.

"There you go. All done," she said.

"Yeah! Uh … Thanks," Face stammered. "Look … uh … Zowie. I …I was wondering when I can finally get out of bed. You know, I could really do with a shower."

"You haven't gained enough strength yet to do that, I'm afraid," she said. "But you don't have to stay up in your room if you don't want that. I could ask B.A. to carry you downstairs so you could lie down on the couch. If you'd like you can watch TV or read a book or something like that or talk to your team mates."

"I'd like that," he said. "At least I'll have a change of scenery. But I also would like to freshen up somehow, you know."

"If you'd like I can help you with that," Zowie stated.

"You can?" He asked her.

"I still have some time left to play your nurse," she said smiling mischievously. "If that's okay with you?"

"Uh …Yeah …Uh … I guess," Face stammered.

Zowie gathered all she needed and gently started to wash his handsome face and upper body with a soft sponge and some nice smelling foam. Face was all relaxed by now and enjoyed both the scent of the foam she used to wash him with and the soft touches of her delicate hands to his bare skin. He didn't hesitate when she asked him if he would like for her to wash his hair in the process. He closed his eyes and focused on her hands gently massaging his scalp.

Zowie watched him intently and noticed how he started to relax. God he was handsome! There was no doubt about that! She was happy he was doing better, but she also knew it would take him some more weeks to fully recover. That still gave her a few more weeks to get to know him better. She was really looking forward to that. For now she kept on running her fingers through his wet blond hair and realized she couldn't keep doing this and had to stop sometime soon.

"There you go," she said." All done. Anything else I can do for you?"

"Could you maybe blow dry my hair?" He asked her.

"Yeah, sure. If you like me to do that," she said softly.

" _And … I …uh … actually …I would like … to wear a fresh pair of pajamas."_

"I can give you a hand with those as well," Zowie replied. "Let's start by doing just that."

After finding out where to find them, she grabbed a fresh pair of baby blue silk pajamas for him. She knew he wouldn't be able to lift his body up, so it wasn't going to be the easiest of jobs. And it wasn't easy to keep her eyes focused on doing her job either! Why did he have to be this damn handsome, she thought? Afterwards she gently eased Face up into the sitting position. He wore a painful expression on his pale features.

"I'll try to be as quick as I can," she said apologetically.

"It's okay," he answered her smiling. "You're doing a wonderful job so far. I feel a whole lot better already."

Zowie eased him into his baby blue pajama top and softly started to button it up. He did have a great taste in clothes in general, she couldn't help but notice. Afterwards, she started to blow dry his hair. She loved it because it gave her the opportunity to run her fingers through the blond strands of soft hair. Zowie also kept a close eye on her patient as she noticed that he was starting to feel uncomfortable again.

"Are you okay, Temp? Something wrong?"

"Uh … well. I …uh … It … uh … It starts to hurt … somewhat."

"It's okay. That's normal, you know. You can't sit up that long yet after you've recently had surgery especially to your abdomen. That's why I can't allow you to get up just yet either. I'm all finished here. I'll help you to lie down for a while and then I'll get B.A. to carry you downstairs to the couch. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah. That's fine! Thanks, Zowie."

Zowie made sure he was comfortable in bed again before she left to go looking for his team mates. She found them downstairs hanging out in the living room.

"How is he doing?" Hannibal asked her.

"Well, I checked his vitals and they're improving. I've also had a look at his wound and removed the stitches and it looks as if the wound is healing nicely. He is however getting restless and wants to get out of bed. Unfortunately that's not possible just yet. He's still too weak and will be for a couple more weeks. He wasn't too happy about that."

"Gave you a hard time, huh?" B.A. asked. "When that fool is complainin', he ain't doing too bad anymore. Right, Hannibal?"

Hannibal merely smiled.

"Poor Facey," Murdock said. "He hates to stay put all the time."

"He would really like a change of scenery. That's right! I told him I would ask B.A. to carry him downstairs so he can rest some more in the living room couch. He'll be able to watch TV or read or at least talk to you guys somewhat, but he does need to lie down at all times."

"That's okay. I'll carry Face down. He don't weigh too much so that's no problem."

"Thanks, B.A. I do appreciate it and I'm sure Temp will be grateful too."

The guys all shared a knowing look. B.A. walked upstairs to Face's bedroom and carried his team mate downstairs and helped him to lie down on the couch. Hannibal had retrieved his pillow and blankets from his bed to keep him comfortable. Zowie advised him to keep lying down as not to put pressure on his abdominal wound. She was getting ready to leave for work now and Face so badly wanted her to stay. He loved to spend time with her. Zowie said her goodbyes and promised to be back that evening to check on her patient once more.

"Zowie, would you like to have dinner with us?" Hannibal asked her.

"Oh …I don't want to be a burden to you guys," she said hastily hoping she wasn't too obvious. Inwards she was already rejoicing.

"You're never a burden. Right, Facey? I bet you'd love to have Zowie over for dinner. We sure would love to have ya."

"Okay. I'll swing by later and have dinner. Thanks. But I've really got to run now."

She all but ran outside but couldn't help the smile that adorned her face. She loved to spend time with the guys and especially with Temp. Face himself was smiling too lying in the couch in the living room thinking about spending some time with his beautiful doctor. He so wanted to get to know her better!

"I bet you're doing a whole lot better already, right Temp?" Hannibal teased his Lieutenant.

"I'm not amused," Face answered desperately trying not to blush.

The others all laughed out loud.

"Don't tell me you don't enjoy her company and her fussing all over you?"

"I like it alright. She's my doctor and I'm still recovering from surgery, remember?"

"Yeah right, kid. You are still recovering indeed, but don't tell me you're not interested in getting to know her better and asking her out on a date to one of those fancy places of yours."

"Yes, I do enjoy spending time with her."

"That's what we all thought and that's why we invited her over in the first place. So you two could get acquainted."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, kid. Anything to get you back up on those feet of yours and get you all smiling that million dollar smile of yours. But we will have to deal with daddy when you two hit it off."

"That's the part I hate the most."

"Don't cha worry. We'll take care of Stockwell. He ain't gonna come in between you and Zowie."

Face spent some time that day talking to his friends while resting. He did enjoy the change of scenery although he still couldn't do very much. But he was glad to still be alive! Hannibal realized they all needed to talk about what had happened.

"Since you're doing better, Lieutenant, I think we need to talk about what happened at the restaurant."

"It was all my fault, Colonel. I had my eye on the guy with the gun, while Murdock was taking care of the second guy. I didn't see the other guy. I should have observed the situation so he wouldn't have had a chance to shoot at me."

"No, Facey. You're not to blame. It's my fault! I asked you to do something about the situation and I didn't even give you a chance to properly assess the situation. You could have been killed and it would have been my fault."

"Murdock, it's not your fault. You didn't know the other guy was with them. You're not to blame. Besides, you took excellent care of me when I got shot. I would never have made it if it wasn't for you, buddy. I owe you. You're the reason I'm still alive today."

"No, I should have seen it coming. I don't know what I would have done without you, Facey. You're my best friend. I hate to see you get hurt."

"Murdock, you saved my life. You knew just what you had to do to try and stop the bleeding and you tried your utmost best to keep me calm when I was anything but. You were there for me when I needed you the most. I'll never forget that!"

"Yeah, fool. Stop blamin' yourself! You did good!"

"Captain, I'm really proud of you. You did an outstanding job making sure your injured team mate made it through. You've handled the situation really well especially with the message on that pizza B.A. ordered."

"Yeah, fool. You know I don't like no anchovis. That's how we found you fools needed our help."

"Thanks, buddy. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for what you did. I even met a real nice girl because of what happened, so I owe you big time."

"It's alright, Facey. We're a unit remember, a family. We don't leave anyone behind."

"I'm also real proud of you, Lieutenant, for being the hero that you are. But don't ever scare us like that again, kid."

"You don't get rid of me that easily, Hannibal."

"Hannibal's right, Face. When you was lying there on the floor all unconscious bleedin' real bad, we all thought it would end bad. You was real weak, so I carried you over to my van and drove you to DC General."

"I hate to admit it, kid, but for a minute there I thought we really lost you this time. You were unconscious, barely breathing and losing so much blood. I remember taking of my gloves to check your heart rate and I was glad to still feel it pumping. I've known you almost your entire life, Face. You've been like a son to me from the start when you arrived in our unit. You're an important part of this team and you always will be."

Face was glad to talk to his team mates and everyone else was glad they had the talk. Nobody felt guilty anymore for what had happened and all they really wanted now was for Face to get well again real soon. When Zowie arrived late that afternoon, he was still sleeping peacefully in the couch. Hannibal informed her that everything went well that day and she was happy to hear that. He was gradually getting better. She talked some more with Hannibal and B.A. while Murdock was slaving in the kitchen to prepare dinner. They all sat at the table in the living room and Murdock decided to wake up Face so he could also eat a little something.

"Wakey wakey Facey wacey. It's time to eat a little somethin'. And we've got a lovely guest who is anxious to see you."

Face woke up straight away from his slumber. Murdock helped his best friend to sit up and supported his back with some pillows so Face would be able to have a little bit of the dinner he had cooked. The others all ate at the dining room table and talked to one another. All Face could do was eat and listen in on the conversation.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

He couldn't even eat that much as his stomach clearly indicated what it would do if he ignored the nagging feeling of nausea. He sighed. When was he going to be okay again? He had enough of this already. He hated the constant pain and nausea he had to deal with on a daily basis and he also wanted to be able to get out of bed. He realized however that he still didn't have the strength to do just that. Even sitting up for a longer period of time was painful. He was starting to get very uncomfortable by now.

"Kid, are you doing alright?"

A wave of pain had hit Face and he was trying to breathe through it instead of screaming out loud.

"Face?"

Still there was no answer.

Zowie and Hannibal immediately stood up and made their way over to the couch where they found Face in distress.

"Pain that bad, kid?"

He could only nod his head as pain was written all over his pale, sweaty face.

"Let's help you to lie back down. That will ease the pressure of the wound. I'll have to set up an IV-line with a strong painkiller to help ease the pain."

Face tightly shut his eyes as the pain was close to unbearable and shook his head.

"It's going to be alright, son."

The distress also had its effect on Face's upset stomach and he started to look a little greenish by now.

"What is it, kid? Need to throw up?"

Murdock all but ran to his friend's aid and placed a bucket in his lap. Hannibal tried to support his body weight as best as he could while Face's body convulsed and he threw up what little he had eaten moments earlier. The pain was excruciating. Face was so weak that Hannibal had to do his very best to hold up his thin frame. When he was done throwing up, he gently eased his friend back down on the couch. Face still looked miserable. His hair was once again sweat soaked and beads of sweat were visible on his pale features. He had closed his eyes firmly to block out the pain. Zowie sat down beside him on the couch and checked his pulse and blood pressure. His blood pressure was very low she noticed. She grabbed her medical bag in search of her equipment to start up the IV-line.

"It's alright, son. You'll feel better very soon. Just look at me. Look at me, Face. It's going to be alright."

Despite his weak struggling, Zowie managed to insert the IV-line into Face's arm without so much as hurting him. The strong painkiller started to work the minute it entered his system. Face let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"The painkiller is starting to work. The pain should mostly be gone by now. He just might get a bit groggy from it."

"That's it, son. Relax. Just relax."

Hannibal softly ran his hand through his Lieutenant's blond hair. Face closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again Murdock and B.A. were also looking down on him with worried faces.

"Feelin' better, Facey?"

Face nodded his head and managed a weak smile.

"You's sick, man. If you ain't feelin' well, you should tell us. We care about ya, Face."

" _I know."_

"It's normal that you're still not doing too well. You were seriously injured remember. An abdominal gunshot wound is no pick-nick in the park. You've lost a lot of blood too. Getting well again is going to take plenty of time and you need to be patient."

" _I … h-hate feeling … like … this."_

"I know you do, kid."

"I understand that. Really I do! You'll just have to learn to ask for help for a while. I'm pretty sure your friends don't mind taking care of you and I'm keeping my eye on you too to make sure you recover. You're exhausted now. You should really get some sleep."

" _Don't wanna … sleep … just yet."_

"Lieutenant!"

" _Please Hannibal."_

" Okay. We'll all sit down with you and talk for a little while. But that's it! You need to rest to get your strength back. You know that."

Again Face managed to smile weakly.

Everyone sat down and they talked for a while. Zowie occasionally joined in on the conversation. Every now and then her eyes met Face's and she totally got lost in his bright blue eyes. Even when he was looking this tired, pale and sick he still was incredibly handsome. Face himself had a hard time keeping his eyes off of Zowie.

A little while later Zowie excused herself and said she would be heading home as she had a busy day at the hospital the next day. Murdock noticed the disappointed look on his best friend's face. So did Hannibal!

"I'll be back again first thing in the morning to check how you're doing. How is the pain now?"

" _It's gone. I feel much better."_

"I'm glad to hear that. Now you should really get some rest, Temp. You're exhausted. Get some sleep. I'll be back before you know it."

She softly pressed a kiss on his cheek.

"Is okay littl' brother. I'll carry you upstairs. Put you to bed."

"I'll give you a hand, big guy."

B.A. lifted Face's thin frame up with ease and carried him upstairs followed by Murdock who had his arms full with pillows and blankets for his best friend. Hannibal and Zowie watched them go up the stairs.

"Keep an eye on him tonight. If he starts to complain about pain or starts throwing up again, give me a call. I'll be here straight away."

"Thanks, Zowie. Will do. We'll keep watch with him in the room at all times."

B.A. came back downstairs after Zowie had left. Hannibal explained that they were supposed to keep an eye on Face at all times. Murdock had offered to stay with his best friend for now.

"How is he, B.A.?"

"Asleep. He ain't ever gonna learn. How come he don't trust us, man?"

"He does trust us. Believe me. He just doesn't want to be a burden."

"Them pain must have been real bad, Hannibal. I ain't never seen him like this before. Fool's with him. Wouldn't leave his side no more."

"Yeah, you're right. Zowie says he's doing better, but he shouldn't overdo stuff. I think it's good that Murdock is with him. I'll keep watch with him tonight. You can take over in the morning, but make sure Murdock gets some sleep too."

When Hannibal took over Face was still sound asleep. It took him a lot of persuading to get Murdock out of the room so he could get some much needed rest. When he was finally gone, Hannibal walked up to the bed and gently ran his hand through Face's blond locks.

"Kid, when are you ever gonna learn to admit you're not doing well," he whispered softly. "We're here for you. All of us! We are a unit and we never leave anyone behind. You know that! And you're not a burden to us either. You were seriously injured this time and we very nearly lost you. I don't know what I would do without you, kid. Honestly I don't. You were just a kid when you were assigned to my team and I practically raised you after 'Nam. You'll always be special to me, son."

He sat back in the chair in the corner of the room and decided to read the paper to stay awake. Somewhere in the middle of the night, Face was starting to get restless. Hannibal immediately put down his paper and got up. Face was starting to toss and turn in bed.

"It's alright, son," he started to say soothingly. "I'm with you. You're not alone. Everything is okay!"

" _Hanni … bal."_

His voice sounded weak and hoarse.

"It's okay, Face. I'm here."

" _I'm so … h-hot and …t-thirsty."_

Hannibal didn't like the sound of that. He gently put a hand on Face's forehead and felt the heat radiating from his body. No wonder he was thirsty.

"Relax, kid. You're burning up. I'll get you some water and a thermometer as well."

Hannibal returned seconds later.

"Okay, kid. Here's what we'll do. I want to check your temperature first and then I'll help you drink some water. Now be a good boy and open up for me."

" _No,"_ came the weak reply.

"Don't make me do this the hard way, Face. Now open up!"

Face sighed but did as he was told anyway. Hannibal didn't like what he read. He helped Face to sit up in bed so he could sip some of the water. Heat was radiating off of his body and his baby blue pajama jacket was sweat soaked.

"Let me help you take this off first," Hannibal said indicating Face's pajama top.

He nodded his head.

" _I'm … cold,"_ he whimpered.

"You're feverish. That's why!" Hannibal stated. "I'll help you sip some of the water and then I'll put you down and cover you with a light blanket. Okay?"

Hannibal supported Face's body weight and handed him the glass of water which he eagerly began to drink. As Hannibal held him it seemed his temperature was rising even more. He really didn't like this one bit.

"Take it easy, kid."

He finished the glass in no time and Hannibal eased him back down and covered him up.

" _Are they gonna take me again tonight, Colonel. I don't think I can take much more."_

Face's voice trembled.

"What are you talking about, kid?"

" _I didn't say anything, sir. I swear I didn't. But they keep torturing me. It hurts so bad. I can't …"_

"Oh Temp son. You're not in 'Nam anymore, kid. You're safe now."

" _Safe, sir?"_

"Yes my boy. We are home in Langley and we're all here with you: Murdock, B.A. and me. You're just really very sick right now and I'm going to have to get in touch with your doctor."

" _Don't leave me, Hannibal. Please."_

"I'm not leaving you, son. I'll be right back. I'm just gonna make a quick phone call. Want me to get Murdock for ya?"

" _Yes."_

Hannibal all but ran out the door and knocked on the bedroom door of Murdock and B.A. They emerged straight away looking worried.

"What is it, Colonel? Is it Facey?"

"Yes. I'm afraid so, Cap'tan. He has a very high fever and I'm about to call Zowie. I really don't like this. He thinks he's back in 'Nam."

"That ain't good, Hannibal."

"Murdock, he doesn't want to be left alone. Now I'm gonna go call Zowie. You stay with him and try to keep him calm."

Hannibal ran downstairs and started calling Zowie. Meanwhile, Murdock made his way over to his best friend's room only he didn't find him in bed. Murdock noticed the blood stains on the white sheet as Face had managed to take out his IV-line. He couldn't have gotten far in his weak condition. Murdock suddenly remembered that his friend had wanted to take a shower. He quickly made his way to the bathroom to find his best friend out cold in the shower. He ran out of the room and downstairs to notify Hannibal. Luckily he was still on the phone with Zowie and he could explain to her what happened. Zowie didn't like the sound of all that and said she would jump in her car straight away.

Murdock, B.A. and Hannibal made their way back to Face's room and into the bathroom. He had somehow managed to make it up until the stall of the shower when he had lost consciousness. It looked as if he had hit his head somewhere as there was a nasty bruise and gash on his forehead. They could only guess about his other injuries. Face was still out cold and blood was seeping from his arm where the IV had been.

"What was that fool up to?"

"He wanted to take a shower. Remember?"

"I just can't get how he managed to even get this far. Let's get him up and out of here. B.A., do you think you can lift him up?"

"Sure can, Hannibal."

Hannibal gently helped to shift Face's body so B.A. would be able to carry him to bed. He hissed in pain as soon as he was lifted of the ground. The bruise and gash on his forehead were clearly visible. B.A. carefully carried him to bed and laid him down. Hannibal slapped his cheek to get him to wake up.

"Face? Face? Kid? Can you hear me? You need to open your eyes for me. Okay son?"

Face's eyes fluttered open after a while.

"That's it, kid."

Face groaned and tightly shut his eyes.

"What is it Facey? What's the matter?"

" _My head."_

"You've hit your head pretty bad. What were you tryin' to do, fool? You ain't ready to get up."

"What else is hurting? Face? Be honest with me, kid."

Face shook his head, but held his right arm pressed tightly against his chest.

"You heard the man, fool. Answer him before I make you do it."

"I think it's his ribs, Colonel. Isn't it, Facey?"

Face managed to nod his head. The pain was unbearable.

"Let me see, kid."

Face again shook his head.

"Lieutenant, you will let me see those ribs of yours. That's an order!"

Face still held his arm pressed against his chest.

"Are you going to move your arm yourself or should B.A. do it for you?"

Face carefully removed his arm, but shut his eyes tightly. It was obvious that he was in a lot of pain.

"Squeeze my hand, muchacho."

Hannibal gently checked Face's torso. He was pretty sure that he at least had a few cracked or maybe even broken ribs from the fall he took.

"It's okay, kid. Just you rest now. Zowie is on her way over and she'll know just what to do. You'll feel a lot better once she has worked her magic on you."


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Face felt awful. His head hurt real bad and it even hurt to breath because of the injuries to his ribs. On top of it all, he didn't even remember how he got to the bathroom in the first place. He couldn't remember a thing. He didn't even know where he was. The only thing he realized was that his friends were there taking care of him. Despite the tremendous pain he was in, he was also cold. He had started to shiver.

"Are you cold, buddy? Don't worry! I'll cover you up with a blanket."

"He ain't lookin' too good, Hannibal."

"I bet he isn't feeling that well either. Am I right, kid?"

Face only barely managed to nod his head. B.A. was right. He was pale looking and the obvious pain was etched on his face.

"Man, I hate seein' him suffer like this. Ain't there nothin' we can do?"

"I'm not the medical expert, B.A. Zowie is! I think it's best to wait for her and she'll be able to help him. She said she'd jump in her car straight away, so she'll be here any minute. We just have to keep him awake. He hit his head pretty bad, so he's probably concussed."

Face desperately tried to concentrate on the ongoing conversation but failed hopelessly and he was starting to get restless.

"It's gonna be okay, Facey. You just relax for a little while. Want me to sing you a song?"

"He ain't two no more, fool. B'sides he's sufferin' enough without your singin'. We ain't addin' a splittin' headache to the list."

"I used to sing for him all the time back in the POW camp when he had been tortured. It always seemed to help him relax somehow."

"I know you mean well, Captain, but I don't think that's such a wise idea right now. We can't have him falling asleep and his head probably hurts too much."

"I just wish I could do something for him, Colonel. That's all! I hate seeing him suffer like this."

Murdock's dark brown eyes met Face's and he managed a weak smile. Murdock plopped down on the bed beside his best friend and grabbed his hand in his and squeezed it.

"We all do, Captain."

Finally the doorbell rang. Hannibal was relieved that help was finally there. He all but ran downstairs to meet Zowie and she followed him to Face's bedroom. Hannibal explained to her what had happened and it had Zowie worried straight away.

She followed Hannibal into the bedroom to find Face in bed. He looked absolutely horrible. A big black, blue and purple bump was visible on his forehead and a nasty, still bleeding and quite large gash too. He was too pale looking and his eyes were unfocused. Sweat was pouring down his face and his blond hair was sweat soaked already. He was shivering violently and he was breathing irregularly. Zowie went into doctor mode straight away.

"Okay, Temp. I'm here to help you," she started to explain gently while running a hand through his damp blond hair. "I'm going to examine you, okay?"

He didn't understand a word she told him. It was all just a blur. But her touches were sweet and he felt somehow safe.

"I'm going to take your temperature," Zowie said softly.

She gently kept stroking his cheek while waiting. The thermometer beeped and Zowie looked at the result.

"That's not good. Not good at all."

"What's wrong?" Hannibal asked. You could hear in his voice that he really worried about this second-in-command.

"His fever is sky high," she explained. "He must be delirious. That's why he's so unresponsive too. He probably doesn't know where he is or what's happening to him. He can't focus on what you tell him either. I'll quickly check him over, but you need to call an ambulance straight away. I have no choice! I have to re-admit him to the hospital to see what's going on."

Zowie took a closer look at his head wound. The gash was looking really nasty and Zowie knew he was going to need stitches for that. He needed to have a head scan too to check out the damage. She started to check his arms for possible broken bones, but found none. Afterwards she checked his torso carefully. He hissed in pain as she touched the broken ribs. Zowie could clearly tell that he had at least three broken ribs and by the sound of it one might have punctured his lungs.

Hannibal re-entered the room. He had been on the phone with the hospital and they were on their way over. Zowie explained to all of them what was going on. His condition was once again serious. Zowie would have to admit him to the intensive care to keep an eye on his condition. She started an IV straight away with fluid and an antipyretic to lower his body temperature. She disinfected the head wound and put a dressing on it for now. She also applied nasal tubes to give him oxygen and help him breathe easier again.

"He's going to be okay again, is he?"

"I hope so, Murdock. He is hurt pretty bad and he is very weak. This is a serious set-back to his recovery. We'll do the best we can to get him through this."

"Don't worry, fool. He ain't gonna die. We ain't gonna let him. He's strong. He'll make it through. I know so."

"We'll keep a close eye on him and you guys can stay with him too. He is going to need your help. All of you!"

Face was brought to the hospital. Before being moved to the ICU he had a head scan and a series of scans of his upper body. Zowie explained that he indeed had a nasty concussion and three broken ribs and on top of it all a punctured lung. He would need stitches for his head wound, but they couldn't operate on him due to his fever. As his body was so weakened, the medical team argued to put him in an artificial coma for now so he could recover a bit. There really was no other choice! Hannibal dreaded signing the consent papers as he knew there was a small possibility that Face would never wake up again.

Zowie knew how worried they all were and she explained that it was for the best. Face's body would be able to heal better this way. They were allowed to be with him for a while before he would be put in a coma. Even General Stockwell showed up at the hospital. He understood exactly how important this was for the team. He promised them that Face got the best possible care and that he was sure that he would pull through. He even talked to Face himself.

"Lieutenant. I know we haven't exactly gotten along in the past, but I do have to tell you that you are a very valuable member to this team and to my operation. You are an excellent officer! I have never before met a young man with such strong dedication and determination. I know your life hasn't always been easy. You might have been an orphan at a very young age, but you've found a family now. One that cares a great deal about you I might add. Colonel Smith has every right to be the proud father that he is of you and you also have two brothers who'd go through hell to try and protect you. They also know that you have their backs as well. There is one thing I truly admire about you, Lieutenant Peck. You are a very strong young man despite everything that has been thrown your way. I'm pretty sure you'll make it through this situation too. And I can promise you one thing. I'll try to get you and the rest of your team your well-deserved pardons so you can finally go on with your lives. I know you don't like it and it hasn't always been easy for you to do things my way, but you've managed to do so to the best of your abilities. I do promise you here and now that you will get those pardons."

"Littl' brotha. You know …. I ain't much of a talker like you. But it hurts. Hurts to see you this hurt. It ain't right! It ain't your time yet, man. You're young and strong. So fight this! We'll be right here. We won't leave. You're part of this team. We're family, dude. We need ya … We love ya."

"Oh, Facey. This is so hard. I can't stand seeing you like this. You're so young and full of live. You can't give up now. Please don't give up! I need ya! Billy needs ya! We all do! And you keep me sane or at least you keep me safe from that ugly mud sucker. You're my bestest friend in the whole wide world, Facey. And I love you like a brother. You can't leave us. I need you to fight this. If we can get through a POW camp together in 'Nam, we can get through anything together. Right? You've got to believe that. And I won't leave your side. I promise you that! I'll be right here for you. I'll always be here for you."

"Temp. Son. You know. Right now I would rather discuss strategies with you or something like that. Anything but this … You know that I don't like seeing you get hurt, kid. I hate signing these papers and not be able to help or care for you myself. You know how much I hate that! But I have no other choice. We don't want to lose you, son. We just can't lose you! You're of vital importance to this team, to all of us, to me especially. You guys are all I have to live for. You are the only family I've got! This is very hard for me to say out loud but I love you, son. And you make me very proud! You have no idea how proud I really am of you. We won't leave you. We'll be right here for you. Always. You just rest and fight this now, Temp. You hear me? Know that we all love you, son."

By now Zowie had a hard time trying not to cry herself. Everyone was asked to leave the room shortly so she could do her job. She started to prepare everything she needed. When she was sure she was alone with him, she gently stroked his cheek and ran a hand through his blond hair.

"Please get through this, Temp. You need to fight! You have too! We might not know one another that long, but I can tell you one thing. I've fallen head over heels in love with you. You are so handsome and attractive with your gorgeous blue eyes and your longish blond hair. And I so love your perfect smile. You're a very special person. I've learned that from your friends. I would so love to get to know you better. So please fight this for all of us. Please, Temp."

She couldn't help but press a soft loving kiss on his lips before she administered the necessary medication. She stayed with him a little longer to make sure his vitals were doing alright. His blood pressure was low and his heart rate was slow and he was still burning up, but the medication was starting to kick in somehow. She left his room when she was sure he was doing okay.

"How long will you keep him in this coma?"

"I'm not so sure, but I think he'll need at least a week to regain some strength. We'll keep a close eye on his condition all the time. He is in the best of hands and we're doing everything we possibly can to get him through this."

"I know. Thanks, Zowie. All we can really do now is be here for him and wait."

That's what they did! The team once again spent as much time as they possibly could with Face and Zowie kept a close eye on his condition. Murdock mostly sat by his side and held his best friend's hand in his while he talked about all of the crazy antics they had done together. Hannibal also spent a lot of time sitting at his Lieutenant's side talking or reading him stuff from the newspaper. B.A. didn't say much but kept a close eye on his friend.

"How is he doing, Zowie?" Hannibal asked her after a couple of days had gone by.

"He is slowly getting better. He really is a fighter! His blood pressure is starting to stabilize and his fever is almost gone too. We're still keeping him on oxygen for now because of the punctured lung. If he keeps this up, we'll try to wake him up in the morning and maybe move him to a different wing."

"That's good news! Hear that, Facey? They're gonna wake you up again, buddy. Oh how I've missed those beautiful blue eyes full of mischief."

"That's good news indeed, Captain."

B.A. nodded and smiled. He was also relieved that his friend was starting to heal again.

"What will happen next?"

"Well. He'll need surgery for that head wound of his. We've taped it for now, but that won't do. He is going to need stitches. We can do that with a local anesthetic. And he still needs to rest his head and ribs."

"Will he be able to go home?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid. He is still on oxygen as I explained before and we'll have to monitor that punctured lung of his for a few days. He seems to be healing pretty fast, though. So he might be able to go home at the beginning of next week. But he'll be on very strict bedrest."

"Oh don't worry. He's not going anywhere even if I have to tie him to the bed myself."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

The next morning, Zowie decided it was time to wake Face up and she wanted the team to be present. He was no longer on the drug that kept him asleep and they were now waiting for him to wake up again on his own as that was of vital importance for his recovery.

"It appears as if he's about to wake up any time soon now," Zowie said pointing at some of the machines that kept track of Face's blood pressure and heart rate. "I just want to point out that he might be confused at first and he probably won't know where he is. That's just the sedation working off. He'll be acting normal again in a little while."

Face started to shift in his sleep. Zowie stood beside him and kept a close eye on her patient. He was starting to get restless.

"It's alright, Temp," she said soothingly. "You're safe. Don't worry! You were severely injured and you're in the hospital now. We had to put you into an artificial coma so you could recover from your injuries. Your friends are here with you and they have been with you ever since this happened."

Face's eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning. Glad to have you back," Zowie said smiling.

"Hi, kid. Glad to see you waking up again."

Face managed a weak smile.

"Yeah, man," B.A. said returning the smile. "We was really worried 'bout ya."

"Yeah and I've missed you, buddy."

Face wanted to say something, but his voice didn't want to cooperate so it seemed. He was starting to panic slightly.

"Don't worry," Zowie said softly. "It's all normal. Your throat is just really dry and due to the fact that you haven't used your voice for a while it's not fully cooperating right now. That's only because you were in a coma for a couple of days. I just want to ask you a few questions on how you're feeling. Can you nod or shake your head for me?"

Face nodded his head and relaxed a little bit. For a while he really thought he wouldn't be able to speak anymore. What kind of smooth talking conman would he be without his voice? The team sure wouldn't need him any more when that happened. What else would they want him to hang around for besides scamming houses, apartments, nice dinners and clean rooms at nice hotels.

"Does your head hurt?"

He shook his head.

"That's good news."

"What about your ribs?"

He hesitated for a moment, but nevertheless shook his head.

"The truth, kid. I can read you like a book, remember?"

He should have seen this one coming. Hannibal did know when he was holding back on the truth. He sighed and nodded his head.

"I see. So your ribs do hurt. Well, you broke three of them and have a punctured lung because of that. The wound is healing quite nicely and we'll be able to take you off of the oxygen very soon. We'll have to wrap up those ribs of yours afterwards to allow them to heal and to help you deal with the pain. You need minor surgery to your head too."

"You've hit your head pretty bad, kid. You have a gash on your forehead that needs stitching up."

"We can do this under local anesthetics and then you can go home to rest. I'm sure you'd like that?"

Face nodded his head and smiled. Zowie kept a close eye on her patient over the next couple of days and did notice improvements every day. It didn't take long before they were able to stop the oxygen flow and Face was able to completely breathe on his own again. Zowie decided to monitor him an extra few days just to be safe. He was able to eat normally by now and he also was able to talk again which he did. A lot! As he had no idea what had happened to him, he did have a bunch of questions for the guys and Zowie. They all did their best to explain the situation to him.

Since he was recovering fast by now, Zowie allowed him to go home. Before releasing him she would wrap up his injured ribs and stitch his head wound. She walked into his room with all the necessary equipment to wrap him up first. Face was really excited to go home by now. He so hated hospitals!

Zowie did her utmost best to carefully wrap up his broken ribs. Face noticed that and thoroughly enjoyed the close contact with his beautiful doctor. The procedure hurt like hell, but Face wasn't about to let Zowie notice this.

"Are you okay? I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No. I'm fine. Really."

He smiled at her not knowing exactly how to convince her he was telling her the truth.

"You don't have to pretend you're fine. I know this is hurting a lot and I'm trying to be as quick and as careful as I can."

"Thanks."

"I'll stitch up that gash on your forehead in a minute. As I told you before, I'm going to administer a local anesthetic. You won't feel a thing."

"Great. Hum …"

"What is it?"

"I'm just worried … about … you know. I mean … Will there be a scar?"

"No, I'll make sure of that. I'm a qualified surgeon. I know just what to do to make this scar heal in time. You have nothing to worry about. Nobody will even know you had surgery. Just relax and lie absolutely still and I'll take care of this for you."

"Thanks, Zowie. It means a lot to me."

"Well, I would hate to mess up such a handsome face. So you're welcome!"

Face smiled.

"Remind me to thank you properly for all you've done for me when I'm all better."

"Are you sure you'll be able to fit me into your busy schedule? I've heard you were planning on taking a couple of the nurses out too."

Now what? He needed to come up with a good excuse as to why he asked all those other girls out. Well, actually not really an excuse. He had been his usual flirty self with all those cute nurses, but he hadn't met Zowie at that time yet. He could really see himself invest time in this relationship. Zowie was nothing like the girls he dated in the past. She was beautiful, but she was also very bright and she could take care of herself. She reminded him so much of his first love. He just had to go on a date with her.

"What? No. I …uh … don't recall asking anyone out. It must have been the heavy sedation."

"Yeah, sure. We'll see. Just try to hold your head as still as you can while I stitch you up so you can go home. And I don't want you trying anything remotely funny this time, okay. You are on bedrest for a while and I suggest you listen to me. I don't intend to keep patching you up all the time, you know. So if you want that date, you'll better do as I tell you. Otherwise I don't think I'll be able to fit you into my busy schedule."

Face nodded his head and smiled. He was definitely falling for this beautiful creature. Zowie started to work on the gash and was done pretty quickly. Face did exactly what she told him and held really still.

"There you go. All done! It looks really nice already and I can promise you won't see a thing once it has healed. I'll go get your friends now."

"Okay, thanks."

"Meanwhile I'll get your release papers and make an appointment for you at my office in two weeks for a check-up."

"Two weeks? What do I do in the meantime?"

"You rest, Temp. All you'll be doing really is rest. You are not allowed to leave your bed or the coach. The abdominal wound is healing nicely and when you rest your ribs will heal too. You just need to be patient."

"Not one of my strongest virtues."

Zowie merely smiled and left the room. Face was all confused by now. But he didn't have much time to think about the events as his friends walked into his room.

"Hey, Facey. Ready to go home, muchacho?"

"Hi Murdock. Yeah, I definitely am. I've had enough needles in me to last a lifetime."

"I don't blame you, kid. So, can we take you home?"

"Yeah. Zowie is signing my release papers and she's making an appointment for a check-up too. I really wish I didn't have to have that."

"You ain't getting' out of that one, Jack."

"B.A.'s right. Whether you like it or not, Lieutenant, you will have that check-up."

Face tried to complain some more, but Zowie interrupted him as she came walking into the room.

"I've heard that. Hannibal is right. You absolutely need that check-up and you'll need visits to your doctor on a regular basis from now one. Don't worry! We're not going to use you as a needle cushion all the time, but you'll need certain shots for your health."

"Can we take him home, Zowie?"

"Sure you can, Hannibal. I told Mr. Peck that he needs to rest at all times."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't move a muscle."

"Ha ha. Very funny!"

"Well. If you want to have this, you'd better listen to me and do as I tell you."

Zowie waved a piece of paper in his face. Face was stunned for a moment.

"You don't have a clue what this is, do you? Well. You wanted to take me out on a date, right? So to reach me you will need my phone number. I took the liberty to write it down for you on my business card."

"Yes, right. Sure. I knew. Uh. Yeah! Uh … great. I'll take it off course. And you're right … uh … I'm gonna need it."

The guys had a hard time not to burst out laughing. For once a girl had Face stammering. That sure was a nice change.

"Good."

She handed him the piece of paper with her phone number and pressed a soft and tender kiss to his cheek.

"Get well soon. Oh by the way, Mr. Peck. No cheating! I'll know and you know the consequences."

Hannibal, B.A. and Murdock all snickered. Face was left speechless once again. The guys really liked Zowie. She didn't fall for Face's smooth playboy front and his handsome looks. She even made it hard for him. They all wondered whether he would play by her rules.

Zowie handed Hannibal the release papers and the date for the next appointment. She stressed once again that it was of vital importance that he remained on bedrest. Hannibal promised to keep an eye on him 24/7 and said he was pretty sure he would listen to Zowie's advice.

At long last, Face was home again. Well. At least back in Langley. He hardly called Langley home as he truly did miss the Californian coast. But for now it was their home and they made the best of it. Face was wheeled inside and B.A. picked him up from the wheelchair and put him on the couch. Murdock all but ran upstairs to get his pillows and blankets from his bed to keep him comfortable. Hannibal sat down in the chair beside his Lieutenant and kept a close eye on him.

"How are you doing, kid?"

"Okay, I guess. But I sure as hell don't like bumpy roads right now."

"Yeah. I can imagine. Do you want something for the pain?"

"No, I can manage."

"You ain't managing, sucker. I can tell."

"But …"

"Stop being so damn stubborn, Face. We're here to help you. All of us!"

"Yeah, Jack. And I can make you swallow that pill."

"No, no. It's fine. I'll take it, B.A. You might be right."

He sure wasn't going to like this. Not at all! But the bumpy ride in the van had been a pain filled voyage for him. He could really use a pain reliever. Maybe he should just rest for now and let his friends pamper him for once. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. He had no memory whatsoever of a mum or dad caring for him and nursing him when he was sick as a young child. But his friends had nursed him ever since the shooting. They never once left his side.

"Here you go, Facey. I brought you your pillows and blankets to get you all warm and cozy up here."

Murdock brought him back from his day dreaming.

"Uh … thanks, buddy."

"Now, swallow your pain pill and get some sleep. That's an order!"

"Yes, sir. Colonel sir."

He swallowed the pill with a glass of water and within seconds he was out like a light. His friends watched him fall into a peaceful sleep.

"That's it, kid. You just rest. You'll be back to your old self in a flash."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry to keep you guys waiting in between chapters. I'm doing the best I can to keep writing, checking, re-writing and updating as soon as I can. Guess I lead a busy life** **Thank you so much for your reviews! I hope you'll like this new update(s).**

 **CHAPTER 11**

The next couple of days Face did exactly as he was told and never once complained. He got his much needed rest, went to bed early and even took his medication without nagging about it. His friends were starting to get worried about him. They had talked to one another when Face had gone to bed and decided to confront him the very next morning.

"Okay, Face. You've been a model patient for the past few days, now spit it out. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Well, you ain't right either. You ain't complainin' no more. That's weird even for you."

"Why should I be complaining? I'm fine. I do what my doctor tells me to do and I follow your orders too, Colonel. So why are you guys complaining?"

"It's not something you usually do, kid. So out with it."

"Come on, Facey.

"Nothing's wrong. Really guys! You've got to believe me. I'm fine. Or at least I'm feeling much better. Honest. Okay?"

But nobody seemed to believe him.

"Okay, I'll admit. I want to impress Zowie and get her to go out with me. This is the only way she agreed to go on a date with me and I don't want to ruin my chances with her."

"I knew something was up."

"I'm glad we've got that out in the open. I hate to pretend like this. I'm so bored right now. I want to get out of this couch and out of bed so bad."

"Now that's more like you, kid. We understand that you don't like this, but you have to for your own good. Just a couple more days. Your appointment is scheduled at the end of this week."

Face was really happy by the time it was Friday. He was allowed to finally get up and he also needed to go see Zowie at the hospital. He could hardly wait to get her to go out with him. Hannibal would drive him to the hospital as he still needed to take it easy. The team had breakfast together as usual and Face had gone up to the bathroom to get ready for the day. It seemed to take him hours.

"Face, I'm waiting. You have an appointment at 11. Remember? We need to get going to get you there on time. You've been in the damn shower for nearly 45 minutes and it's not as if you've been crawling through the jungle. You're getting a check-up at the hospital for heaven's sake."

Face emerged from the bathroom 10 minutes later dressed in a nice pair of sand colored trousers, a checked shirt in matching colors and a knitted vest. He had also grabbed his matching leather jacket to top it all off.

"How do I look?" He smiled knowing fully well how good he looked.

"Like you jumped straight off the catwalk, kid."

"It ain't no date, sucker."

"Not yet, but I'm hoping to get one out of it."

"Yes anda you hope your friend Armani willa give you a handa at that," Murdock said in a fake Italian accent.

"It does help to look one's best."

"Face, she is your doctor. She is more concerned about your health. Let's just hope you impress her with that too. Now, let's going or we'll never make it in time."

Hannibal drove Face's 'vette to the hospital. The closer they got to the hospital, the more nervous Face got. He was fidgeting with his knitted vest. They got out of the car at the parking lot and made their way over to Zowie's office for the appointment. Hannibal noticed that his Lieutenant was still nervous. They walked past some female patients, visitors and nurses and Face still made heads turn, but he didn't pay any attention to them. He was even acting rather shy which was so unlike him.

"We're nearly there, kid. How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay, I guess. I still get tired easily."

"Well, you did come a long way. Relax, kid. You did what you had to do and besides she already likes you. You will get that date one way or another."

When they arrived in the waiting room, Hannibal made Face take a seat and went over to the desk to register him. They had agreed that Hannibal would accompany him to the waiting room and wait for him there during his check-up.

"Templeton Peck?" A young nurse called his name.

Face didn't move.

"Yeah, right here," Hannibal said while grabbing a hold of Face's arm and pulling him up with him.

"Alright, Mr. Peck," she said smiling softly. "Follow me, please."

"Don't ya worry, son. I'll be right here waiting for you."

"Oh, are you nervous?" The nurse asked him.

"No. No, I'm not. Not at all. Off course not. Why should I be?"

His body language showed her just how nervous he truly was. Hannibal winked at the nurse and she had to do her best not to start laughing.

"It's alright," she said. "There's no need to be nervous really. Dr. Stockwell is a wonderful and sweet lady doctor. You'll do just fine."

She knocked on Zowie's office door and waited for her to answer the call. She opened the door and announced the patient.

"She's ready to see you now," the nurse explained.

Face nervously sighed and walked into Zowie's office.

"Oh hello, Mr. Peck," she said as she stood up and walked over to shake his hand. "Nice to see you again."

The nurse closed the door and left them alone. Blue eyes met blue eyes as they were standing right in front of one another.

"Hi, Temp. How are you feeling?"

"Uh … If you must know. I'm nervous."

"You? Nervous? Why?"

"I … I don't know. It never happened to me before. And I did what you told me to do. Honestly. I never once got out of bed or out of the couch. You can ask the Colonel or any of the guys. I also did rest a lot and I even took my medication."

"I believe you. Don't worry! I can see that you're doing a lot better already. But I do have to examine you to check on your progress."

He nodded his head.

"Let's have a look at your head first."

She gently ran her hand through his blond hair to reveal what was left of the scar. She let her finger linger over the scar and noticed that it was healing very nicely. The touch of her hand felt nice to Face.

"Now, let's have a look at your ribs and your abdominal wound," she said softly. "Can you uncover your upper body for me?"

Face swallowed nervously.

"By the way, I think you look great," she said mischievously. Did you dress up to impress me?"

"I … uh … I just always like to look my best."

"So I've noticed. I admire your taste in clothes. Armani sure looks hot on you."

She stood right in front of him now and she was studying him. Face was wondering what she was thinking.

"Need some help with that?"

Before he could even respond to her question, she pushed his leather jacket off of his shoulders.

They locked eyes again and moved closer towards one another until their lips met in a brief, hesitant first kiss. Face slid his arms around her slender waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her hands in his soft, blond hair. They smiled at one another and kissed once again.

"Did I impress you enough so you would go on a date with me, doctor?" He whispered in her ear.

"I'd love to go on a date with you, Temp."

He smiled and took both her hands in his. Again they locked eyes and he guided her hands to the buttons of his knitted vest.

"I guess I could use some help with this. My ribs still hurt when I get dressed or undressed for that matter."

Zowie smiled and he smiled right back at her.

"I'll be glad to give you a hand. You could still be sore for quite a while."

She unbuttoned his vest and his shirt and helped him remove both garments.

"Can you lie down on the table for me ?"

Face did as he was told with Zowie's help. She tried to be as professional as she could. She had to make sure he was healing properly. She checked the wound which was healing well and also checked his ribs. As they were still quite sore, she checked his ribs very carefully. Zowie helped him to sit back up and she also helped him to get dressed again. Face let her help him.

"So … What's the verdict, doc?"

"I'd say you've listened very well and did as you were told. Your injuries are all healing well."

"What do you say? Do I deserve a reward for that?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"This."

He pulled her in his strong arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck once again.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

"Did you now?"

"Sure did. Now about that date."

"What about it?"

"Do you really want to go out with me."

"Yes, Temp. I absolutely want to go out with you. I kind of like you and I think you're cute."

"Cute?"

"Yes, cute. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No. No. Not at all! I have to admit I like you too and I think you're a very pretty doctor."

"Well, thanks. So where are you taking me and when?"

"That depends. Can I go home?"

"Off course you can. You should take it easy though. Your body hasn't healed completely yet."

"So I guess horse riding and rock climbing is out of the question, huh?"

"You're such a tease. Why don't we go out for dinner?"

Face swallowed. Was he ready to do that? Would he be able to handle being in a restaurant after getting shot? But he didn't want to disappoint Zowie either.

"Yeah, we might do that. I know this …"

"You know, I'd love to take you to my favorite Italian restaurant."

"Italian restaurant?"

"Yes. The food is just delicious and it's a small and cozy place. I just love dining there. They have lots of very nice meat and fish dishes and also serve a wide range of vegan dishes. I know you're into those."

"Sounds interesting. So when do you wanna go?"

"What about tomorrow evening?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine to me. Want me to …"

"No, I'll come and get you. You can take me for a drive in that nice sports car of yours when you're all better."

"Okay, it's a date then."

He pulled her towards him and kissed her once again before they had to say goodbye. He walked out of her office wearing a huge smile on his face.

"You're looking real happy, kid. I guess you've nailed that date."

"You bet I did."

Face was indeed very happy that she wanted to go out with him and seemed to be interested in him too. But he was freaking out about going out to dinner to an Italian restaurant. How was he going to pull this one off?


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

He didn't sleep well at all that night. He kept tossing and turning and woke up drenched in sweat. He kept reliving the incident at Villa Cucina all night long. When he woke up in the morning he was still feeling tired. He managed to drag himself over to the kitchen.

"Hi, kid. Sleep well?"

Face knew he shouldn't lie to Hannibal and he realized he still looked tired. But he didn't want him to know he was having nightmares about the shooting.

"Not exactly. My ribs kept bothering me somehow."

"You ain't going on no missions any time soon, Face. Your body ain't healin' that quickly after what ya went through."

"Yes, I know. That's what Zowie told me too."

"So what about that date, kid? When are you taking the lovely doctor out?"

"It's more like she's taking me out, Hannibal. By the way, I won't be home tonight. Zowie is picking me up."

"What will you do, Facey? Rock climbing, deep sea diving, benji jumping, horseback riding?"

"What are you ramblin' about, fool? He ain't ready to do none of that with them ribs! You're crazy."

"B.A.'s right, Captain. I think Face should take it easy for a little while."

"So, what will you be doing then: lying in the sand on the beach watching the sun set, gazing up at the star filled sky or just gazing into each other's eyes, perhaps skinny dipping in the ocean?"

"If you must know, she is taking me out to dinner to her favorite Italian restaurant."

Face tried to hide his nervousness, but the guys all sensed it and they looked at each other knowingly. They all realized he had to heal both physically and psychologically. But they also knew he wouldn't admit how he felt about eating out at an Italian restaurant so soon after the shooting.

"Are you okay with that, kid?"

Face felt his Colonel's piercing blue eyes on him. He couldn't admit it. He just couldn't. He was a Special Forces officer. He shouldn't be afraid. He could handle this. He would handle this.

"Yeah sure. Why not? She said this place had excellent vegan dishes and I'm kinda curious to taste some of them. I know the company will be great too."

As Face still got tired easily, he took it easy for the rest of the day. He decided to work on his tan in the garden for a while and ended up falling asleep. Hannibal kept a close eye on him all day long. Finally evening came and Face decided it was time to get ready for his date with his lovely doctor. He went upstairs to the bathroom to take a nice, long, hot shower and to get dressed for his big date.

"Do you think it's a good idea to let Facey go on a date to that restaurant, Colonel?"

"Honestly I don't know, Captain. But I think Zowie picking out a restaurant to go on their first date and even an Italian one means she is on to something too. I think she did this on purpose to get him to react. She needs him to open up so she can help him get through this. I'm sure that Zowie knows what she's doing. She is a professional after all and I do trust her!"

Face went upstairs intending on taking a nice, relaxing shower and pick out his outfit. He remembered Zowie telling how good he looked in Armani, so he decided to pick out another one of his Armani vests. He grabbed a crisp, white, silk shirt and immediately had a flashback to the night of the shooting. A blood soaked white shirt flashed before his very eyes and Face dropped the shirt to the floor.

"No."

His heart was racing in his chest and Face did his utmost best to get a grip again. He couldn't freak out. Not now! Not here! His friends would never understand.

"Just stop it," he said to himself while picking up the shirt and deciding on a light blue one instead. He also grabbed a pair of designer jeans and a pair of socks and went over to the bathroom to take a shower. He let the water run and got undressed. He took of the t-shirt he had been wearing on top of his swim trunks. The scar on his abdomen was still a visible proof of what had happened. His trembling fingers touched the scar and he immediately felt the pain he had felt when he got shot. Why hadn't he seen that third guy? Why? He was a military trained man, an excellent sniper and a Special Forces officer. He should have studied the situation better before acting foolish like he had done. Innocent people could have gotten hurt or his friends.

He had to stop thinking like that. Face finished getting undressed and got into the shower and tried his best to relax. After all, he was going on a date with the gorgeous Zowie and he was looking forward to spend some alone time with her and get to know her better.

Meanwhile, Zowie had arrived at the Langley premises. Hannibal let her in. She looked very pretty. She wore a very beautiful summer dress topped off with real feminine high heels. She had also let her long hair down.

"I'm supposed to pick Temp up. Is he ready to go? He isn't feeling sick or anything, is he?"

"No. Face's gettin' ready. Takes forever. Been fryin' in them sun all the day long. Restin'. Now he's in the shower and ain't gettin' out no more until you smell him from a mile to come."

"Don't forget that he needs to pick out the right cologne and the right outfit to match with the lovely lady."

Zowie couldn't help but laugh. She knew Face was a vain kind of guy.

"He'll be right down, Zowie. Don't worry! So, you're taking him out for dinner?"

"Yes. I have this nice and cozy Italian restaurant I go to ever so often and I wanted to take him there to taste their delicious vegan dishes."

"Do you think he's up to that?"

"To be honest, Hannibal, I'm not sure. His body is healing very well, but he also needs to start getting over the psychological impact of the matter and that's not easy. I guess I wanted to confront him with a similar environment and see how he reacts to that. Don't worry. It's not Villa Cucina I'm taking him to."

"You know, I'm kinda curious myself. I don't think he's gotten over what happened, but he won't open up to anyone about that. He tries to act tough, you know."

"So I've noticed. But why? I mean, he's only human."

"He grew up in an orphanage and he learned at a very young age to take care of himself. I guess that's part of the reason he tries to act tough and tries to solve every problem by himself. He hardly ever told us he got hurt. We've learned about that the hard way during 'Nam. Whenever he says he's fine, he's not. Just remember that, but I guess you know that by now."

"Yes, I do. Thanks for the advice, Hannibal. Don't worry! I'll keep a close eye on him tonight. I care about Temp a lot."

"So I've noticed and I believe he cares a lot about you too considering the fact he gave up all of those dates he made with the nurses on staff at DC. We're very happy he chose to be with you, Zowie. We all like you a whole lot."

"Thanks, Hannibal. That really means a lot to me. Let's just hope he'll be okay tonight."

Face still hadn't come back down.

"Hey, Jack. You ain't down yet. Need me to drag ya out?"

"Patience, B.A. It takes time to look this good."

"Hurry up, sucker. Zowie ain't gonna wait on you no more if you keep this up."

"I'll be down in 5 minutes."

Within 5 minutes he was actually down dressed in a nice Armani blazer vest, a light blue dress shirt and a pair of Armani jeans. He looked great and smelled great as well.

"Hi, Temp."

"Hi, Zowie."

"You're looking great."

"Thanks. You're looking gorgeous."

"Thank you. So, are you ready to go?"

"Uh … Yeah … I sure am. Let's go."

"Bye you guys. Have fun."

"Don't wait up for me!"


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

As they were walking towards her car, Zowie noticed how nervous Face was. She started to wonder whether it was a good idea to take him out to dinner already. Maybe it was just too soon!

"Are you sure you're feeling up to this? I mean, I could always postpone this dinner and just hang out with you here."

"No. I'm okay. Really! Besides we wouldn't have that much privacy hanging out here with the guys and I'm kinda looking forward to that."

The both of them got into the car. Face took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. He so wanted to enjoy the evening with Zowie. Maybe if he just concentrated on her, he would be okay. Right? That shouldn't be too hard, he told himself. She looks gorgeous, she is great fun to be with, she's not afraid to speak her mind and damn she's bright too.

"Sure you're okay?" She asked him once they were settled in her car and ready to go.

"I'm perfectly fine. Nice car by the way. It's not the 'Vette, but it's a nice one nevertheless."

"Next time I'll let you drive that baby of yours. Don't worry!"

"You're already talking about a next date? Sure sounds fine to me."

"Don't flatter yourself! You're lucky you're this cute."

They gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds slowly inching closer towards one another.

"And so damn handsome," she whispered before her lips met his.

"You're so gorgeous," he whispered back. "You don't look anything like your father."

"I don't think I would stand a chance on dating you if I would."

"No, it's nothing like that. I mean … You know … Your father … uh … he …"

"You don't get along. I get that! My father isn't the easiest person to get along with. He is very, very stubborn but then again so are you."

"Look, Zowie, I'm sorry … You know …"

"It's alright, Temp. I know what he's like. I grew up with him, remember. We never saw him much though. He was married to his job and forgot every now and then that my mother also existed and needed some attention as well as his kids. Mom tried to put up with it for a while, until she couldn't cope with the whole thing anymore. They split up when I was 6 years old and my mom took my sister and me with her to sunny L.A. I've blamed dad for their separation for a very long time and for making mom miserable. I guess you could say I gave him a hard time when I was a teenager. Our relationship didn't get any better until I graduated high school and went to med school. Dad turned up at my graduation and told me how proud he was of me and how wrong he had been for pushing us all away. He was so sincere and I decided there and then that maybe he could use another chance. I never once regretted it. Once you truly get to know him, you'll find out he isn't that bad."

"Maybe I ought to try. I must admit I haven't done that until now. And I really would love to keep seeing you."

"I'd love to keep seeing you too. What about dinner? I'm starting to get hungry by now."

"Let's go."

Zowie drove up to her favorite cozy Italian restaurant. They both got out of the car. Face took Zowie' s hand as they made their way into the restaurant. He kept on hoping he would be able to pull this off.

"Good evening, Miss Stockwell. It's so nice to see you again."

"Well, it's always nice to be here Mario. Thanks!"

Face didn't know he liked this smooth talking Italian waiter. He seemed to have an interest in Zowie. She noticed his facial expression and couldn't help but laugh. Mario showed them to their table. He handed them their menus and left the couple alone for a while to get them some water to start with.

"Don't be so jealous, Temp."

"Jealous! Who? Me?"

"Yes you! I can tell. You have no reason to be jealous. Mario is a sweet guy, but he's so not my type. By the way he is engaged to Isabella, the owner's daughter. I was able to save his father-in-law's life in surgery a few months ago. I guess they're still thankful for that. And I'm a regular guest here."

"Hmm."

"Oh, you're real cute when you're jealous. You know that? Don't worry! I really like you and I only have eyes for you."

Mario returned with a bottle of water.

"I see you're not alone this time, Miss Stockwell. I was wondering why a pretty girl like you always dinned out alone."

"Yes, well I never really met that special someone until now, I guess. Mario, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend Templeton Peck."

"Nice to meet you."

Both guys shook hands.

"You're a real lucky guy, Mr. Peck. Miss Stockwell is a very special lady."

"Yes, I know. And I intend to take good care of her."

Mario left them again so they could make a choice from the menu.

"So, I get to be your boyfriend. Is this just for tonight or …?"

"I was actually kinda hoping you wanted to be my boyfriend. I like you a whole lot and I' m head over heels in love with you."

"Me too. And I'd really love for you to be my girlfriend."

He grabbed her hand in his and softly caressed it. Everything was working out so far. He was sitting at the restaurant and he was sure he would enjoy his dinner knowing that Zowie was his. Everything was going well until the smell of the Italian served dishes triggered a real bad flashback.

 _They took action thinking those goons were gonna rob Sal, the owner. Face handled one guy with a gun and Murdock and Frankie took care of the other one. Then one gunshot went off. One single shot. Blood. Pain. Such an intense piercing pain in his abdomen. A pain he never experienced before in his life and he had been shot during 'Nam too. He looked down and saw the actual damage the gunshot wound had done. No! This could not have happened. Not to him! He fell down hard. God, it hurt like hell! His sight was all blurry. He couldn't make out what was happening anymore. There was blood. Lots of it. His own blood. Flowing freely from his body …_

"Temp?"

"Uh … What?" He snapped out of his daydreaming.

"I asked you what you were going to have. Did you even listen to me? Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"What? No. No, off course not. What could possibly be wrong? There's just too much to choose from. You know. I haven't got a clue what I should get. It all sounds real nice to me. Why don't you order something for me? Huh? I just really need to use the bathroom."

He hurriedly got up from his chair.

"Are you sure you want me to order something for you? I can help you make once you get back"

"Yes, I do want you to choose for me. I trust you."

The room was starting to spin and Face desperately held onto his chair. His knuckles were turning almost white. His heart was racing and he tried to get a grip on his breathing. He had to get out of the dining area. He just had to. He tried his utmost best to walk as casual as he could to the bathroom as indicated, but he walked ever so unsteady on wobbly legs. He couldn't lose grip. Not now! Not here! Never!

As soon as he arrived in the bathroom, he locked himself into one of the stalls. He put the lid down and plopped down burying his head in his hands. His heart was still racing and his vision was all blurry. He willed himself to calm down. He clamped his eyes shut and tried to focus on his breathing, but nothing seemed to do the trick. Damn it, Peck. You're Special Forces. You've been through worse! Come on! You have a lovely lady waiting for you whom you love. You can't fall apart now! But he was hit with yet another bad flash back …

 _It was as if he was looking at himself lying helplessly on the floor bleeding profusely. He was crying out in pain. God, it hurt so much! You could clearly see that the pain was next to unbearable by simply looking at his pale features. Blood was soaking his crisp white silk Armani shirt and his blazer vest. Man, it had cost him a fortune and now it was ruined. His whole life flashed before his very eyes. Abandoned by his family and left on the doorsteps of an orphanage at age 5, he met Father Maghill. The nice Father had immediately liked the pretty, blond boy standing at the doorsteps and had guided him while growing up. He had learned to take care of himself very quickly. Although his big mouth usually landed him into trouble, the Father and the Sisters took a real liking to him. Being a clever boy, they also made sure he got a good education. He even graduated at an earlier age than most of his fellow students. He left the safety of the orphanage to go to college where he fell in love. The love of his life left him in his sophomore year and heartbroken as he was, he decided to enlist in the army and set out to 'Nam to forget his pain and sorrow. He didn't mind then that he might never return. He did now! He so wanted to live! All he wanted to do was live …_

 _He met all of his friends in 'Nam. Hannibal. He looked up to the Colonel. He was not your average kind of guy especially while being on the jazz. But he cared about the well-being of his team and he had taken him under his wings when they first met. He was the closest thing he ever had to a dad. B.A. and Murdock were like his brothers. B.A. always seemed to be angry, but he also was very protective of his 'little brotha'. Sometimes he was worried that B.A. might actually hit him when he threatened to do so, but he never did. He got along great with the crazy pilot. Murdock was a fun guy to hang out with, but he never really was 'crazy' enough to be put in a V.A. He hated for them to be separated and would always spring Murdock somehow._

 _He saw Murdock kneeling beside him reassuring him he would be okay and gently squeezing his shoulder while doing so. He had a worried expression in his deep brown eyes and never for a second acted crazy like he usually did. When he was ushered back into the restaurant by those thugs, he came in as often as he could to check on his best friend. That's what they were! Best friends! Now his best friend's hands were covered in blood. His blood. And he stressed whenever he checked his pulse._

 _Oh God the pain. The pain was next to unbearable and the hand pressing down hard on the wound didn't do any good either. He moaned again._

He snapped back out of it. Beads of sweat were clearly visible on his forehead and his hand rested on his abdominal wound. The pain was still lingering. He desperately tried to get a grip on the situation and was glad he was all alone in the bathroom. Come on you've got this! You're not at Villa Cucina anymore. Nothing is going on! You're on a date with the girl you love. Focus, Peck! Damn it! Focus!

Face managed to get a grip again. He exited the stall and went over to the sink to splash some water into his face. He dried his face afterwards and ran a comb through his blond hair and decided he could go back in to be with his date. He took a gulp of air to try and steady his nerves and walked back over to their table and sat down once again.

"So, did you order for us already?"

"As a matter of fact I did. Are you alright, Temp? You're kinda looking pale."

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Really! Couldn't be better."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. I am on a date with my gorgeous girlfriend and I'm so enjoying spending time with her."

"I like spending time with you too."

They sat together talking and simple enjoying one another's company while drinking wine and waiting on dinner to be served. Face's heart kept on racing and he was sure Zowie saw it pounding underneath his shirt. It was really hard for him to keep up the act of being in total control when he wasn't in control at all.

Zowie noticed how nervous he actually was. He kept on fidgeting and did his utmost best to get a grip on his breathing. But Zowie noticed the signs. She saw the beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, his pale complexion and his overall nervous behavior. How long would it take before he would crack?

But Face was a con man and a very good one indeed. He managed to keep somewhat of a grip on the situation. All of a sudden two business men dressed in dark suits entered the restaurant. They sat down and looked around the cozy place. Their behavior was enough to set off Face's antenna. He tensed up even more. Mario arrived at their table with their orders and meanwhile someone dropped a plate in the kitchen. The sound of the plate hitting the kitchen floor sounded almost as if a bullet was fired …

 _Gunshot. The sound rang in his ears and a wave of immense pain hit him in the abdomen. Oh God. No! He was hit. Blood was everywhere. He felt dizzy and weak. His legs no longer could support his body weight and he fell down on the floor. I don't wanna die. No! Not now! I can't. I just can't. Not like this …_

Face leaped from his chair and bumped into poor Mario who dropped their plates of fresh made food. His breathing had picked up and he was shaking like a leaf by now.

 _Get a doctor. Was that Murdock? Where did he come from? But those goons wouldn't let them get him medical care. Instead, they made his friends drag him to the kitchen. The pain was excruciating. He had never in his life been in so much pain._

Everyone in the restaurant was watching him. Zowie immediately walked over to him. He was so upset by now and she noticed he had his hand on his abdominal wound. Zowie knew he must be reliving the whole ordeal.

"Temp, it's alright. Nothing has happened. Calm down, sweetheart. The kitchen just dropped a plate that's all that happened. You're alright, baby. It's okay! Just concentrate on your breathing."

But she didn't get through to him. He was too far out in his flashback. As he forgot to breathe properly, his legs gave out and he fell down onto the floor. Zowie managed to assist him somewhat so he didn't get hurt.

 _Blood kept seeping from the wound and he felt weaker by the minute. It was all over now. Wasn't it? He would never walk away from this._

"I'm cold. I'm so cold."

He could feel someone pull him into an embrace and God it felt so good. He felt loved and cared for. But the thought of the extreme pain kept lingering in his brain …

 _He felt weaker and weaker as if all energy had drained from his body. This was it. He wouldn't get through this adventure._

"I'm scared. I'm really scared."

The words were hardly above a whisper, but Zowie heard them nevertheless.

"Temp? It's me, Zowie. Temp? Listen to me. You've got to listen to me, okay? Nothing happened. You're not shot. You're okay. You just suffered from a real bad flashback. Do you hear me? Baby?"

She softly ran her hand through his blond hair and caressed his cheek.

"It's okay. You're safe now! Nothing can harm you. It's alright! I'm with you and I won't leave your side."

"Z-z-z-owie?"

His voice sounded so weak and faint.

"That's right, baby. I'm right here. You've just relived your nightmare. You're not hurt. Just focus on breathing normally again!"

Face had clamped his eyes shut the whole time and now he opened them up to look at Zowie. She was still gently stroking his cheek.

"It's okay," she said soothingly. "Now breathe with me. Easy and deep in and back out slowly. That's it! In and out. In and out."

Face tried to follow her lead to get a grip on his erratic breathing.

"I … uh … I .. I ..I'm …. gonna … b-be … s-sick."

He had hardly spoken the words as is stomach heaved and he ended up throwing up in the middle of the restaurant.

"Oh God … No!"

"Don't worry about it, Temp. It's not your fault. You're just really upset right now. Mario is calling the paramedics so they can give you a little something to help you calm down again. Keep focusing on me now and let's do some breathing exercises together until they get here."

"Hold me."

It was barely above a whisper, but Zowie held him close in her loving arms.

"Oh, Temp. Why didn't you say anything to me about this? Why?"

Face said nothing, but snuggled closer in her arms still shivering.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I should have never brought you to this place this early."

"What has happened to him?" Mario asked the question nobody else dared to ask.

"He has been in a shootout at an Italian restaurant a little while ago," Zowie started to explain while holding Face close in her arms. "He was a true hero and together with his friends they managed to get everyone out safely, but he was shot in the abdomen and it was touch and go for a while during surgery."

"Oh my God," the crowd exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the paramedics had arrived and Zowie explained what had happened without letting go of Face.

"It's okay, baby. The paramedics are gonna give you something to help you relax and I'm taking you home to rest."

She held him close and turned his face away as the paramedic inserted the needle into his skin. She softly rocked him into her loving arms until he calmed down. It didn't take long at all. He was all exhausted by now and Zowie felt him go limb in her arms. The paramedics offered her a ride in the ambulance with him and promised to drop them off at the premises. Zowie decided straight away she would spend the night to keep an eye on his condition.

"Poor thing."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

Hannibal and B.A. were startled from watching their game of football on TV by the flashing lights of an ambulance.

"Colonel …"

Murdock emerged from the kitchen where he had been slaving away cooking. His big brown eyes worriedly eyed his commanding officer. He too had seen the flashing lights of an ambulance approaching the premises.

"We didn't call no ambulance. What's it doin' here anyway?"

"No idea. Let's go and find out what's happening."

The three of them made their way over to the ambulance quickly. The doors of the ambulance opened and out jumped Zowie.

"What's goin' on?"

"Facey?"

"Yes, you're right Murdock. It's Face. He's gonna be alright, though."

"What happened?"

"It was all my fault, Hannibal. I never should have taken him out to the restaurant this early in the first place. He had a real bad flashback triggered by some business men entering the restaurant and a plate being dropped in the kitchen. It was all just a stupid coincidence. He had been a nervous wreck all evening. I should have seen it coming. He got all upset and we had to call the paramedics. He had a shot to help calm him down and he's out for now."

"Hey, it's not your fault."

"No, sucker never tells no one he's not feelin' well. Hides everythin'. Don't know why."

"He's a great kid, but damn stubborn. He'll never admit he can't deal with the situation. Must have been one hell of a show he pulled up there."

"I explained everything to the people present and they understood and felt sorry for him. Now we just have to get him to open up to us about it. He needs to get this out of his system."

"Some challenge that'll be!"

"I know. But you know what worries me the most, Hannibal? He said he was scared."

"Temp scared?"

"Yes. He asked me to hold him and he told me he was scared. And he meant it too this time."

"Sucker ain't never been scared before, Hannibal. That ain't good!"

"We had to leave him alone in the kitchen when he was shot. You know how Face hates to be alone. But we had no choice. I didn't want those thugs to shoot him again. One of them sure wanted him dead. I think he really believed he was going to die back there too. He must have been scared at that time."

"I think you're right, Captain. I admit it didn't look to good before we took him to DC. As I knelt beside his unconscious form behind the bar, he had a hard time breathing already. I took of my gloves to check his heartbeat and noticed straight away how weak he was. I admit, I was worried at that time and didn't know whether or not he would make it through. I remember squeezing his arm to reassure him he was not alone."

"I know he's grateful that you cared for him," Zowie said. "He told me so while we were driving up to the restaurant. He is grateful to all of you for getting him out of there alive."

They all looked at Face sleeping peacefully due to the sedative he had received.

"It's a real long way back for him, but we'll be by his side to support him the best we can."

"Yeah, he ain't got nothin' to be afraid of no more."

"I think it's best if I stay over tonight so I can keep an eye on him in case he gets all upset again. Is that alright with you guys?"

"Absolutely Zowie. Please do. I think Face will like that too. You two seem to be very fond of each other if I may say so."

"We are. We even told one another we're in love. I know we don't know each other that long, but I do know how I feel about Temp. I really do like him a whole lot."

"Wow, Facey has a girlfriend! That's great news!"

"Yeah but keep it down, fool. You'll wake him. Can't have him wakin' up all upset."

"We're all happy for the both of you, Zowie. I'm sorry your first date was ruined. Have you had anything to eat yet? Murdock is cooking up something. I'm sure you can grab a bite to eat with us. Right, Captain?"

"Sure. Sure."

"Thanks. I'm starving by now. We were supposed to get our meals, but as Temp jumped up from his chair he managed to knock the plates right out of the waiter's hands."

They all had to laugh.

"So, let's grab something to eat now."

They enjoyed a nice home cooked meal while Face was still sleeping. The sedative sure seemed to be doing its job. Zowie hoped it would get him through the night, but she just wasn't sure. They sat and talked for a while after dinner until they decided it was time to get to bed. Face was still asleep.

"That sedative sure works," Hannibal said.

"Yeah, I know. It was a pretty strong one.

"Let's just hope he doesn't get sick."

"I know. I know, but I had to do something to get him to calm down. I really had no choice."

"It's okay, Zowie. You took great care of our Facey for us. He'll be really grateful. And I'm glad you're his girlfriend. He deserves to be loved."

"Thanks, Murdock. That's really sweet of you. I so love Temp and all I want to do is make him happy."

"You ain't got nothin' to worry 'bout, Zowie. We support the both of you. I'll carry littl' brotha to his room."

"That's great, B.A. Thanks! I'll stay with him and keep an eye on him."

"I'll get you some pillows and blankets and a comfy chair."

Murdock ran upstairs to get everything ready for Zowie, while B.A. carried his sleeping friend to bed.

"You sure you'll be alright, Zowie? If you want we can take turns and keep watch."

"No, that's alright Hannibal. I can handle it. I've pulled all-nighters before when I was an intern. You guys deserve some rest too after all you've done for him the past couple of weeks. You can be really proud of yourselves, you know. I'll call you in case I need you. I promise."

They all walked upstairs together and B.A. put his friend to bed. Face was still sleeping peacefully. Everybody just stood there and watched him breathe in and out steadily.

"This has got to stop. He's been through enough."

"You're right, Colonel."

"He don't deserve to feel bad all the time."

"Physically he's recovering. Now, if we can get him to open up he'll be able to recover mentally as well. But we can't push him. It is hard enough for him as it is."

They all watched the sleeping Lieutenant for a little while until they decided it was time to go to bed. Zowie settled down in the comfy chair beside his bed and decided to close her eyes for a while. She remembered how happy he had been when she had introduced him to Mario as her boyfriend. She smiled. He was so cute! She swore she would do everything she could to help him get all better.

Zowie awoke in the middle of the night. Something had startled her. She watched her boyfriend as he was starting to move around restlessly in bed. Zowie sat by his side on the bed and gently started to run her fingers through his blond hair in a soothing manner.

"It's okay. It's alright. You're safe now. Don't worry! I'm right here for you."

She gently kept doing what she did. Face's eyes fluttered open as he woke up.

"Zowie?"

"Yes, Temp. It's me. It's okay. You were very upset at the restaurant and we had to give you something to help you calm down. Do you remember what happened?"

Face nodded his head.

"I'm sorry." It was hardly above a whisper.

"Hey, don't be sorry. It was not your fault at all. The situation at the restaurant triggered a real bad flashback, didn't it? Am I right?"

He nodded his head again.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. It was about to happen. You've been through a lot. It's normal. You need to open up to us so we can help you deal with this."

"I … I … c-c-can't."

"Yes, you can. What are you afraid of? We all love you and we're all here for you. We care a great deal about you, Temp. Honest. Why wouldn't you be able to open up to us for? Huh?"

"Because … I'm a trained military man. A Special Forces officer. I've been to 'Nam and that was damn hard with the camps and everything. We were surrounded by death people all the time or real bad casualties of war. We had no idea we were gonna walk away from it unharmed. A lot of young men lost their lives during that war."

"You were very young at that time too, weren't you? I can't begin to image what you must have gone through."

"It was pure horror. I guess we were lucky to get out of there alive and well as a team. I would have never survived if I hadn't been assigned to Hannibal's team."

"Yet you did. You survived that hell. You're a very strong man, Temp. You know that?"

"No, I'm not."

"You so are. You were seriously injured, yet you never gave up and fought to survive. But right now you need to let us in and tell us just what has been running through that mind of yours after they shot you."

"No, I can't. I need to deal with this on my own."

"What you need to do is to open up to the people that have always been there for you and always will be."

"I can't. I just can't."

"Why?"

"'Cause I don't want to be the weak link. I was terrified. I really was. As a Special Forces Officer, I can't allow myself to be scared and yet I was. I really … uh … I … r-r-really …t-t-thought … I would …uh …die."

That was enough to start the waterworks from flowing freely. He buried his head in his hands and started to cry. His whole slender frame trembling from pent up emotions. Zowie just pulled him close in her arms and held him.

"It's okay. Let it all out. You've been keeping this in for way too long. Let it all out. That's it! It'll do you good."

She caressed his back and softly stroked his hair in a soothing manner as he kept on crying.

"I'm so sorry, Zowie. I didn't want to ruin our date and I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Hey. You didn't ruin anything. And stop apologizing already. You've been through a very stressful situation and you have to deal with it. What you need to do is talk about it. It will do you good. I promise. And cry if you have to. It's okay! Don't be afraid to show your emotions."

She caressed his cheek and wiped away a single tear that slid down his cheek.

"Temp, look at me. I love you. I want to help you get all better, but you need to open up to me."

"Okay. I'll … try. I promise, Zowie. I love you too."

Zowie pulled him in her arms and simply held him. Face closed his eyes and enjoyed the close contact with his girlfriend. They sat like that for a while until Face let go of her all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?"

But she noticed how all color had drained from his face.

"Oh sweetie. You're going to be sick, aren't you? Think we can make it to the bathroom in time?"

Face softly nodded his head. Zowie put his arm around her neck in order to try and support his weight a little as she helped him to the bathroom. She helped him kneel in front of the toilet just in time. By now, Zowie knew his stomach didn't agree with most of the medication he got especially anesthetics and tranquillizers. She softly massaged his shoulders while he was throwing up and feeling miserable. Face was feeling sick and weak.

"I want this to stop."

"I know you do, baby. I know."

Face was starting to shiver. She knew his stomach was starting to settle down again. She grabbed a wet washcloth and gently wiped his face with it and handed him a cup of water in order for him to rinse his mouth.

"Let's get you back to bed."

She helped him up and once again put his arm around her neck to support him the best she could. He slipped back under his covers still shivering uncontrollably. Zowie softly ran her hand through his hair.

"Are you ready to talk about how you felt when you were shot?"

He swallowed the lump that seemed to be stuck in his throat.

"I … uh … I don't know ..if I can."

"I'll be here for you. I'll do anything to help you through this."

"Would you mind getting in bed with me and just holding me in your arms while I tell you everything? I … uh … I don't think I'll be able to go through this without your support."

"I'll be there for you."

She lifted the covers and got into his bed. He nuzzled close in her arms and tried to get comfortable. She pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head while whispering in his ear:

"Go ahead. It's alright. I'm here for you. Let it all out! Just let it all out!"

Face sighed. He had been pretty good at hiding his true feelings for most of his life. He hated to feel vulnerable, but he also knew he had to get this out of his system in order to start healing again.

" _Murdock was really worried that those guys were gonna rob Sal's place. I knew he really liked the man and his lovely daughter even if he hadn't been working for them that long. He told me one of the guys carried a gun. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. That's not my style and Murdock is my best friend. I couldn't let him down. So I tried to come up with a plan and we carried it out. I stole one of those guy's wallet to check where he was from and whether or not he had a permit for that gun of his. I would return his wallet and Murdock would distract them by spilling a couple of beers. That way we would be able to take them out easy. I didn't assess the situation very well and hadn't seen that there was a third party involved. He pulled out his gun and he … he … uh … he .."_

Zowie pulled Face even closer in her arms and kept running her hand through his blond hair to help him calm down.

"It's okay. I've got you!"

" _He shot me. I felt the bullet enter my body and the piercing pain as it knocked the wind out of me and I fell hard onto the floor. I was struggling to remain conscious. I knew this was bad! I must have had my hand on the wound, because when I lifted it up and looked at it my hand was blood stained. So were my new silk Armani shirt and my dress jacket. I remember thinking they had cost me a small fortune and my tailor hated getting blood stains out of my clothes. Pain shot through my entire body. The next think I remember, Murdock and Frankie were kneeling beside me. Frankie took my pulse and Murdock said I shouldn't move and reassured me I was going to pull through. He begged Sal to call a doctor …"_

"It's alright, baby. You're doing such a great job. Keep going with it. I know it's hard, but you really have to tell us how you felt. I'm here for you. You're not alone."

" _Those guys said he couldn't call for help. I still remember Murdock's eyes. He was feeling guilty as hell. I tried to tell him he wasn't to blame, but I had a hard time talking. The pain was next to unbearable, but I knew I had to try and stay though. One of those scumbags took out his anger on Murdock and I was terrified he would hurt him too. Luckily he didn't get hurt. He ordered Murdock and Frankie to drag me to the kitchen and they had no choice but to do so. They carefully helped me up and supported my weight as we made our way over to the kitchen ever so slowly. I nearly passed out due to the pain I was in. They eased me back down on the cold kitchen floor. I had my hand on the wound and it was still bleeding heavily. I had a hard time focusing all together. It was looking bad and I ended up asking them how badly injured I was. Frankie lied to me. I knew he lied too, but I was grateful for it. I could read Murdock's expression. He felt guilty for what had happened to me and he was worried sick. But he appeared to remain his cool. He ordered one of the scumbags to get some table cloths to cover me up with and told Frankie to get a chair so they could lift up my legs. Murdock explained to Gina that she needed to make sure my head and back remained on the floor and to get my_ _legs elevated. It hurt so much when Frankie lifted my legs on that chair. Oh God! I so wanted to scream. Murdock checked my pulse and held my hand to soothe me. He lifted my own hand from the wound and handed Gina a rag she had to press hard onto the wound. I couldn't help but cry out in pain. It hurt so much my vision began to swim and I forgot to breathe properly too. Frankie told me I needed to focus on my breathing again. Murdock was forced to get back into the dining room. A little while later, they also ordered Frankie to get back inside. They all had to leave me …"_

"I'm not leaving you, Temp. I'm right here. It's okay. I'm so very proud of you."

She softly wiped away the tears that were silently running down his handsome features. She could feel his entire body trembling in her arms. She knew he needed some time and she gave him the time to compose himself again. She caressed his cheek and pressed a soft, tender loving kiss on his nose.

"You don't like to be left alone, do you? It frightens you. Terrifies you. Does it remember you of a time when you were still a child?"

He nodded his head unable to come up with the right words.

"You were severely traumatized as a kid when your parents abandoned you. You think everyone will abandon you, but that's where you're wrong. Sweetie, we love you. Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. love you and so do I. You don't have to go through this on your own. We're right here by your side to support you. Always and forever."

" _Gina … uh … She sat down next to me and pressed down hard on the wound. It hurt even more by now and I was losing my battle with consciousness. She held my hand to support me. I guess I passed out by then. A little while later, I opened my eyes and Murdock had entered the kitchen again. He sat down beside me with a serious face, so unlike Murdock. He took my pulse again. I felt weak and so cold. So very cold. I managed to tell him that and he covered me up with some of the table cloths and tried to calm me down. I was starting to feel hot and cold at the same time and couldn't quite focus anymore. I vaguely heard Gina say that I had complained of pain when she pressed down hard on my wound, but Murdock said she had to keep doing that. I couldn't focus on the conversation anymore due to the pain becoming next to unbearable. The next thing I remember is hearing Hannibal's voice or so I thought. I was moaning in pain and hoped things would end pretty soon. As much as I hated going to the hospital, I really wanted to get there bad by now. I vaguely remember being dragged out of the kitchen and back behind the bar. Frankie and B.A. lifted me up and I cried out in pain. It hurt so much and I lost my battle with consciousness once again as they laid me down."_

"You were very weak by then, that's why you lost consciousness. The pain must have been awful. Those scumbags shouldn't have left you to suffer like that."

" _At one point I thought they didn't …. He … he … uh … one of them …uh … said … he"_

"Take a deep breath. That's it! You're doing great."

" _He said … uh … some people don't know how to live … and … uh … some … uh … don't know … how to … die. I thought: this is it! He's gonna shoot me right here and now! Murdock and Frankie were in the restaurant, it was just me and Gina. I was afraid I might die. I don't want to die. Not yet! I'm still far too young and I want that pardon and the chance to start a new life so badly. Especially now that I found you …"_

He was sobbing by now. Zowie pulled him in her arms and held him close. She ran her hands through his hair and rubbed his back soothingly. He needed to get this pent up emotion out of his system, but it hurt to see him like this.

After a while, she noticed how he had stopped trembling and seemed to have calmed down. She didn't let go of him however. He snuggled closer in her loving arms.

"Thanks."

It was nothing more than a soft whisper. They locked eyes and he softly smiled at her. Zowie said nothing, but tenderly caressed his cheek. They inched closer still locking eyes with one another until their lips met in a loving and tender kiss.

"Don't go away. Please, don't go."

"It's okay, Temp. Don't worry! I have no intention of going anywhere. I told the guys I'd keep an eye on you tonight. I'll be right here in the room with you. Think you'll be able to go back to sleep?"

"I … I don't know. I … Would you … please … would you keep holding me? Please, Zowie. I need you. I really need you."

His beautiful blue eyes were filled to the brim with unshed tears. It had been hard on him to open up. Zowie grabbed her pillow from the chair beside the bed and softly slid under the covers with him. She lay down beside her boyfriend and pulled him closer to her. She tenderly played with the short hair in the nape of his neck as she felt him relax just a little. He had closed his eyes and Zowie ran her hand through his soft blond hair. He had calmed down a whole lot, but wasn't asleep just yet. Zowie noticed how he snuggled closer towards her every now and then like a child seeking comfort with its mother. She realized he never had that and felt sorry for him. He probably had no idea what it was like to have a mother figure who would love and protect her child since he was deprived of one for most of his young life. He only had Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. who cared about him and took care of him when needed. Zowie felt hot tears sting her eyes. Why would anyone abandon such a sweet, lovely, adorable person like Temp? Right at that moment, she knew exactly how she felt about him.

As if he sensed it, Face looked up at her at that very moment. She still noticed the unshed tears in his blue eyes and she knew that he probably saw the unshed tears in hers as well. He reached out to her and tenderly caressed her face.

"I love you, Zowie."

"I love you too, Temp."

Their lips met once again in a soft, loving kiss and Zowie knew right then that he meant what he said. He snuggled close again in her loving arms and tiredly closed his eyes. Within seconds his breathing had evened out and Zowie knew he had fallen asleep. She smiled happily and also closed her eyes.

When Hannibal knocked on the door the very next morning, he received no answer. As he was worried about his second-in-command, he quietly slipped into the room. His trained eye immediately noticed that the chair Zowie had been occupying was now empty. Thinking his Lieutenant had gotten sick, he worriedly looked at his bed first. He noticed the bed now contained two sleeping figures cuddled close in one another's arms. Hannibal couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of him.

"How's Face?"

Hannibal motioned for B.A. to keep it down. B.A. frowned and came closer to have a look into the room himself.

"Is Facey okay?"

Murdock had seen his Colonel's gesture towards the big guy and had tiptoed towards the room as well. He was truly worried about his best friend. He also had a look inside the room as nobody spoke a single word.

The guys all had to smile.

"I think he's doing fine, guys. Let's get breakfast ready for them."


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

The guys all tiptoed out of the room and made their way up to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

"Do you think what I think happened between Facey and Zowie, Colonel?"

"Shut up! You ain't able to think straight, fool!"

"I believe she found a way to get him to open up to her."

"You sure? You're startin' to sound just like that crazy fool. He ain't never done that before."

"There' a first time for everything, B.A. I think he finally found what he was looking for all along."

"You mean Zowie?

"Off course he means Zowie. Who's the fool now? Facey is in love."

"I'm happy for 'em. He ain't never had an easy life. He deserves to be happy. She'll do fine."

"You're right, B.A. She is perfect for him. She is caring and loving, but she's also very independent. She can take care of herself and that big ego of his and she's so very smart."

"What about Stockwell?"

"We'll deal with him when the time comes. Now let's just focus on Face's recovery."

Zowie woke up first that morning. Face was still snuggled close in her arms. She couldn't help but smile. She had gotten him to open up to her. It had been hard for her to watch him break down and show his vulnerability, but she had been there for him. And they even said they loved one another!

"I sure could get used to this."

His soft voice woke her up from her reverie.

"I bet you can."

She was leaning on her elbow watching him. Her long curly hair hung loosely around her shoulders. Face admired the view. He tried his best to sit up more straight so he'd be able to initiate a kiss.

"Thanks. For everything so far."

"You're very welcome."

"I meant it last night, Zowie. I do love you. I really do love you."

"I love you too. How are you feeling right now?"

"Okay, I guess. My stomach's acting up a bit."

"You really don't do well with tranquillizers and stuff, do you?"

He shook his head.

"Think you'll be able to get up and eat a little something?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll give it a try."

At least he was being honest. They both got out of bed. Zowie stretched out her hand to him. Face looked at her surprised.

"Don't worry. I've told the guys about us last night."

"You did, huh."

"Don't worry about it, Temp. They're happy for us."

"Really?"

"Yes. And so am I. I'm really happy."

Face smiled and pulled her into his strong arms as he kissed her. They intertwined their hands as they made their way downstairs to the kitchen to meet the others.

"Hi, guys."

"Hi, Face. How are you feeling?"

"Huh. Okay, I guess."

"Wanna eat something, Facey?"

"You ain't got nothin' to worry 'bout, Face. I've tasted the fool's food. Tastes just fine."

"Yeah, I'd love some breakfast Murdock. I'm kinda hungry."

"Well you didn't exactly have much to eat last night…"

"Oh, Zowie. I'm sorry. I really did mess up our date."

"No, you didn't. You were just not ready. I should have known."

"It's okay, kid. She told us she likes you a lot, so I guess she'll forgive you for now. By the way, we made sure she didn't starve to death."

They all had to laugh. Nobody had heard the front door open as Stockwell entered the premises. Face and Zowie were still standing in the kitchen holding hands both in their sleepwear.

"Good morning, gentlemen. I came to see how Lieutenant Peck is doing."

His trained military eye immediately caught sight of his daughter holding hands with Templeton Peck.

"I ..uh … I'm starting to recover."

"Zowie, care to explain?" He asked his daughter in a stern voice.

"Sure," she started. "Temp's injuries were pretty severe, so healing takes time. He has been resting like I ordered, but ended up in the hospital again because he slipped in the bathroom due to his dizziness. He has also been dealing with nausea a lot resulting in fatigue due to his extreme reaction to the anesthetics, painkillers and antibiotics he had to take all this time. I have been keeping an eye on both his physical and mental condition."

"Why, Zowie? Why are you holding hands with a lying and cheating fugitive? Why?"

"Hey. You don't talk about any member of my team that way, shorty? Got it! And especially not the kid. Temp is a very valuable member of this team and he has been through a lot. His heroic action to try and save those innocent bystanders almost ended in him getting killed. He was lucky to have Zowie take care of him or we would have lost him. I can't even bear to think about that possibility. But he's a fighter! Always has been and always will be. Thank God! So now he's slowly recovering one step at a time with the help of your daughter. And yes, somewhere during this period of close interaction they have fallen in love with one another. We all support the relationship. I don't think in all these years I have ever seen Temp this insanely happy."

"Hannibal's right, sucker. You don't mess with my littl' brotha. He ain't chosen to be no fugitive. We was set up. And don't you go callin' him no liar and cheater. He learned how to do that to survive. That's it! He's a loyal friend. We knows he love Zowie. She ain't no one-night stand to him. He means it this time. So leave them be or you'll end up complainin' to my fists soon."

"You know, Stockwell. Traumatic experiences can bring two people closer together. That's what happened here with Zowie and Lieutenant Peck. What they don't need is someone interfering in their relationship. Plus being Face's best friend, I sure as hell don't like how you keep calling him. Should you truly know him, you wouldn't be saying that at all. Face is a mighty fine supply officer, a terrific second-in-command to Hannibal and a loyal friend and team member. He is of great value to this team."

"I don't understand you, dad. How can you say something like that about Temp after all he's been through? He risked his life to save not only the Attorney General, but also the innocent people at the restaurant. He nearly gave his life to save them all. He could have died. Do you understand that, dad? He nearly gave his life. Again! Now I would hardly call him names like you just did. Because, dad, I happen to love him. Yes, that's right. I love Templeton Peck and he loves me too. And it breaks my heart to hear you say those things about him. By the way, nothing you say or do can break us up."

"You love him, huh? How do you know he's not gonna run out on you when he's all better?"

"I just know, dad. I trust, Temp. You should try it too sometime."

"You must know his reputation, Zowie."

"Yes, I know about his reputation. Believe me I do. But what we have here is special. I'm sure we can make it work as a couple."

"If I may, General. I admit. I do have a bad reputation when it comes to my love life. I understand that you worry about your daughter's well-being. I don't blame you either! If I were you I'd be careful too. I also know that I haven't exactly been an easy person to get along with and that I've made life hard for you. I'm willing to change that, because I do love your daughter a whole lot. Zowie means the world to me and all I wanna do is make her happy and keep her safe and protected."

To emphasize how he felt, he pulled Zowie in his arms and she snuggled close to him. Stockwell remained silent for a while and merely looked at the couple. Face was starting to feel very uncomfortable. He was pale and beads of sweat were visible on his forehead. Murdock grabbed a chair and Hannibal took hold of his Lieutenant.

"Son, I think you should sit down before you fall down. You're not fit just yet. You're slowly getting there, but you're not there yet. Think you're gonna be sick?"

Face shook his head, but let his friends help him to sit down anyway. He was feeling very weak.

"I take it he still hasn't recovered fully."

"No, dad. It'll take time. He needs lots of rest in order to regain his strength. He needs to take things slow for a little while and that's not always easy for him. He should slowly start to eat normal again. That's what we're currently working on so he can regain some of his strength."

"Well, Lieutenant Peck, take all the time you need to heal. You won't be going on any missions any time soon."

"You're kicking me off the team?"

"Dad? No! You can't do that to him!"

"No. No, I'm not. I will if you hurt my daughter, but no I won't kick you of the team. I know how tight knit you guys are. I won't let anyone tear you guys apart. I'm giving you all time off so you can help Lieutenant Peck recover. And Zowie too off course. I must say, young man, I wasn't exactly thrilled to see you two together but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I can tell my daughter is insanely happy and that makes me a happy father too. So, Lieutenant, I guess it's welcome to the family for you. Now how would you like me to call you: Face or Templeton or Temp?"

"Whatever you like, sir. Thank you for giving me a chance to show you how much Zowie means to me. I promise you, I won't let you down."

"Wanna sit down and have breakfast with us, dad? Temp and I were just gonna have some."

"Well, darling, I had breakfast already this morning but I'd surely like a nice cup of coffee. Are you up to eating out here yet, young man? Shouldn't you lay down on the couch some more?"

"I'd like to try, sir."

"If you want to impress me, my boy, you'd better lose the sir. Just call me Hunt."

Everyone sat down at the table. Murdock served Zowie some of his homemade pancakes and he had made a bowl of oatmeal with some fresh fruit for his best friend. They all had a nice cup of coffee with the exception of B.A. who enjoyed a glass of milk.

"You know, gentlemen, I might have some good news for you very soon," Stockwell said after a while.

"What kind of good news?"

"Well, Colonel Smith. You're men have been very honorable in our arrangements and I did promise you your pardons as we started with this deal. I am supposed to have lunch with the Attorney General today and the subject will be discussed. He has more jurisdiction than I have and I'm pretty sure he'll be able to pull something off regarding your full pardons. That's the least he can do since Temp basically saved his life."

"Sounds great, General. Doesn't it, guys?"

"I can believe it does. It's an extra bonus for Zowie and Temp too. He can start leading a normal life with her. I'll be sure to discuss that other matter you've asked me too, Colonel."

"What other matter?" Face was getting curious by now.

"The matter regarding your legal adoption, Lieutenant."

"My what?"

"You've heard me. You know how much you mean to me, Temp. You've always been like a son to me and you always will be. I'm proud of you, kid. You deserve to be loved. I would like to make it official, so that's why I've asked Hunt to look into the matter."

"You were serious?"

"Off course, son. Why wouldn't I be? That's if you still want me to be your 'dad'?"

"I'd be honored, Hannibal."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

A few weeks had passed by now and things were starting to look a whole lot better. Face had regained most of his strength by now. Zowie kept a close eye on his well-being, but she had to admit that he was doing exceptionally well. Everyone was relieved to see him doing so much better! And all Face wanted to do was get back in shape as fast as he could. He worked out on a light schedule and also went on a daily run.

Meanwhile, Stockwell had brought the guys some good news too. The Attorney General had been in contact with the President and he had agreed to a full pardon for them. There would be a big official press conference and a huge celebration party. The team was especially looking forward to being pardoned after all this time. They had been discussing what they would be doing afterwards and immediately agreed that they would still love to keep working together as a team. They would continue to do what they did best: helping innocent people in need as the A-team.

They also agreed that they all would love to move back to where it all started: Los Angeles. Face especially missed the nice weather and the beach. But now he also had Zowie to think of. She had lived in Washington most of her life and she had her job at DC General. One evening when they all had diner together at the house, he had explained to her how much he longed to get back to sunny California. Zowie had caught him by surprise by telling him that she already knew how much he wanted to go back and that she had applied for a job at one of L.A.'s well-known hospitals and that she had gotten the job straight away.

Face and Zowie flew over to Los Angeles so she could sign her contract and they also started to look for a place to live for themselves and the rest of the team. They had all left it to Face and his amazing skills to find them suitable places. He was beyond thrilled to inform them that he had found them all houses right next to one another in a nice and peaceful neighborhood. Each beach house was rather large and had a nice deck overlooking the beach and the ocean. The next thing he had done while in L.A. was buy a brand new white Corvette with red leather interior to replace the previous one which had been ripped to shreds.

They went back to Langley to inform the rest of the team. Everyone was starting to get used to the fact that they would be able to live normal lives from now on. Hannibal had wasted no time and had called Maggie Sullivan. B.A. had first of all called his mum and afterwards had been in touch with Billy to get his sister Charlotte's phone number. Murdock had kept in touch with Kelly ever since they met, but he also contacted her now to announce the big news. The ladies all came up to Langley and were thrilled to find out what was about to happen leaving none of the men single anymore.

Today was the big day. A day everybody had been longing for. The ladies were all dressed up nicely and the guys were all suited up. Even B.A.! It was a funny sight, though, seeing the big guy wearing a classic tailored suit with all his gold dangling on top of it and white sport shoes on his feet. There was a lot of press attendance too. The guys all sat on some sort of stage together with the Attorney General. He shook hands with each and every one of them and even went into the public to shake hands with Murdock who sat on the front row next to Hunt Stockwell. When he walked back up the stage, he softly patted Face's shoulder. He started to speak to the press and explained exactly what had happened that night at Villa Cucina.

"I owe everything to this brave man and his team mates. Lieutenant Templeton Peck. He is a true hero. Together with his best friend Captain H.M. Murdock, he came up with a clever plan to overthrow those mobsters and they did that because they wanted to keep the owner Sal and his lovely daughter Gina and the rest of the clients at Villa Cucina safe. At first, they only thought that these thugs would rob the restaurant. Once they started acting out their plan, something went very wrong. There was a third party involved who shot Lieutenant Peck while he tried to disarm one of them. As they weren't allowed to call for a doctor, Captain Murdock both had to take care of his injured comrade and also had to think of a way to get help from the rest of the team. I'm not going to bother you with all the details, but he managed to deliver a message to Colonel John Hannibal Smith and Sergeant Bosco Baracus on a pizza. They were all able to take out the thugs and keep everyone else safe, including myself and my wife. It was then that I learned the truth and noticed just how badly injured Lieutenant Peck really was. I'm glad to see that he is doing so well today considering all he went through. I knew I had to do something for these people and that's why I talked to the President myself. I was able to convince him to give these men their well-earned pardons. But before we get to that part, there are two other important things to hand out. Lieutenant Peck, could I please ask you to stand up and join me?"

The crowd all started to cheer loudly as Face did as he was told.

"First of all because of your bravery, I would like to present you with this special medal. You've managed to save a lot of innocent people that day including my wife and me and your bravery very nearly caused you your own life. We will never ever forget what you did for us. Congratulations."

Face was left mostly speechless. He accepted the medal and thanked the Attorney General. The crowd went insane.

"Second of all, I have another very important piece of paper in my hand for you Lieutenant Peck. We've learned that you grew up in an orphanage in Los Angeles and that you never found any living relative. We've also learned that you were still a very young man when you joined up and were sent to Vietnam to become a part of Colonel Smith's Special Forces unit. You were quite a hand full at the time as Colonel Smith explained to me and always seemed to get in trouble somehow. Things got pretty rough during the war and you were able to rely on Colonel Smith for support and the both of you somehow started to respect one another. He saw the big potential in you and you became his second-in-command. You knew then that no matter what, he would have your back and you would have his. That bond only became stronger after the false accusations. You were like a son to him and he was like a dad to you. The whole team knew. I guess even every client knew."

"Even the bad guys knew they shouldn't mess with Facey or the Colonel would unleash hell on them."

This remark of Murdock's had the whole room laughing.

"Colonel Smith admitted that nearly losing you was the worst experience by far in his life and that's why we were asked to look into the case of legal adoption. And I'm very proud today to announce that we were able to get all the paperwork ready."

Once again Face was speechless. This is what he always wanted!

"Colonel Smith. May I ask you to read this piece of paper out loud?"

Hannibal rose from his chair and took the piece of paper in his hand and started to read it out loud. He faced his second-in-command while he did so.

"I, Colonel John Hannibal Smith, officially declare that I legally want to adopt Lieutenant Templeton Arthur Peck. I promise to look after him and guide him to the best of my knowledge until the day I die."

Tears welled up in their eyes as blue eyes met blue eyes.

"All we need now is both of your signatures, gentlemen."

The Attorney General handed his pen to Hannibal first and afterwards to Face. They both signed the paper.

"Well it' my pleasure, gentlemen, to announce that you are now legally related. Congratulations to the both of you."

He shook their hands.

"Well Temp, it's official now. You are my son. My son! Finally! I'm so very proud of you, kid."

"Thanks, dad," was all Face could manage to utter somehow as his emotions got the best of him.

Hannibal hugged his son and tried to shield him from the press as he knew how sensitive Face was. He kept on holding him until he was able to regain his posture somehow. The crowd cheered loudly.

"Now let's move on to some more exciting news," the Attorney General said to calm the crowd down. "I also hold in my hand your well-earned pardons, gentlemen."

Hannibal, Face and B.A. all received their official piece of paper with the president's signature on it. Finally! After all these years on the run, they were finally free men! The crowd went crazy once again as the Attorney General shook the guy's hands.

"What are you planning to do now, gentlemen?" One of the journalists present asked them.

The guys all stood up and walked over to their girlfriends. Hannibal got down on one knee in front of Maggie, Face got down on one knee in front of Zowie and B.A. got down on one knee in front of Charlotte.

"Hey, guys wait up," Murdock yelled.

He jumped up from his chair to kneel down in front of Kelly.

The girls all gasped as their boyfriend's simultaneously asked them to marry them. Four very clear yesses could be heard and the audience went wild when they guys slid a ring on their girlfriend's fingers.

This was it! They finally had their well-earned pardons and could live their lives with their new wives as free men. A freedom they had all dreamt about a dozen times before. But they swore right there and then to the cheering crowd that they would always be able to count on the A-team to get them out of trouble. As the festivities started, the guys were asked to pose for some press pictures. Hannibal proudly looked at all of his men.

"I know what you wanna say right now, dad."

"Do you, son?"

"Yeah, I do. I guess we all do, right guys?"

"You love it when a plan comes together," Face, Murdock and B.A. all said in unison.

"Right," Hannibal smiled while lighting his famous cigar.

THE END


End file.
